BENGALURU: A 36-year-old chemical engineer died by suicide, unable to bear the alleged harassment from her live-in partner. The victim, KR Kavitha, was from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. She was staying with her live-in partner, Sellappan, 34, an IT professional hailing from Haruru in Dharmapuri. He has been detained by the police.
She was living with him in Gunjurpalya in Varthur after divorcing her first husband. The incident happened on Monday between noon and 2 pm. Her family in Tamil Nadu learnt about the suicide after the accused called and informed them. The victim’s sister, after coming to the city to collect the body, filed a complaint against Sellappan. The Varthur police, after registering a case of abetment of suicide (IPC 306), detained him.
The victim’s brother Gowtham said they are performing his sister’s rituals and there is no point in talking about the incident as his sister is no more. He confirmed that Sellappan was taken away by the police.
Kavitha was earlier married to Nataraj of Tamil Nadu in 2013 and divorced him in 2021 due to domestic issues. She was the mother of two children. Later, while working in Coimbatore as a lecturer, she came in contact with Sellappan through a matrimonial site and fell in love with him. She came to Bengaluru and started living with Sellappan in Varthur.
“The victim during her phone calls with her sister Vasumathi, the complainant in the case, would complain about the harassment and torture from the accused. He is also said to have been spitting on her face during the fights. On Monday 2 pm, the accused is said to have informed Vasumathi about her sister’s suicide. The victim had hanged herself in the bedroom,” said an officer, who is part of the investigation. The victim and the accused were said to have decided to marry on April 10 and she had invited her family members for the wedding. However, she has taken the extreme step as the accused is suspected to have allegedly refused to marry her. Further investigations are on.