VILLUPURAM: The family of A Deva Jessipriya (22), who died within three months of her marriage in Sornavur village near Valavanur in Villupuram district, reportedly due to dowry-related harassment from her husband and in-laws, has said that proper action by the police on a distress call she made could have saved her life.
A Richard, Jessipriya’s brother, said her sister had called the police control room (100) on January 30 (Friday) night, a day before she died, reporting physical assault by her husband.
A senior police official confirmed to TNIE that the call was received at the Chennai control room around 10 pm and was forwarded to the Villupuram district control room, which in turn routed it to the Valavanur police station.
He, however, added that when Valavanur police contacted Jessipriya, she said the situation had settled and there was no immediate distress.
Richard disputed this. Citing accounts from neighbours, he claimed that the police visited the house, but persuaded her to deal it as a family matter and left. “If the police had taken her complaint seriously that night, my sister would have been alive today,” he alleged.
He blamed Balasingam, a sub inspector of Valavanur station, in particular. “Even before a proper enquiry, the SI declared her death a suicide and made judgmental remarks about her,” Richard alleged.
The police, after initially registering a case of unnatural death, altered it to invoke sections 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives of a woman) and 108 (abetment to suicide) of the BNS.
Members of Makkal Athigaram organisation, who had staged protests demanding a fair probe, alleged that the SI made insinuating remarks about Jessipriya instead of taking action against her in-laws. They said they would soon file a formal complaint against the SI.
When contacted by TNIE, Balasingam denied the allegations. Maintaining that he was not directly involved when the distress call came, the SI, however, said it was Jessipriya who told the police that things had settled down and no action was needed. A senior official told TNIE that action would be taken if the family files a complaint against the police personnel. Villupuram SP VV Sai Praneeth said though several false narratives were circulating on social media, the investigation was evidence-based and fair. Noting that the husband and mother-in-law have been arrested, he said the father-in-law and brother-in-law will also be taken into custody, if evidence of their involvement emerged.