KOLLAM: The preliminary postmortem report shows that the cause of Vismaya’s death at her husband’s house where she had suffered torture over dowry was hanging. Kollam Rural SP K B Ravi on Tuesday said the doctors conveyed this to the investigating officers and the team was waiting for a detailed postmortem report.
The parents of Vismaya alleged that she was murdered by husband Kirankumar.“It is too early to conclude whether she was hanged by someone or committed suicide. That can be decided after getting the detailed postmortem and forensic reports,” said Ravi.
The police team completed the preliminary interrogation of Kirankumar, who had surrendered at the Sooranadu police station on Monday night. During interrogation, he confessed that he used to manhandle Vismaya. “He said he had beaten her earlier when the two got into fights. The pictures being circulated on social media are old ones,” said Ravi. He said based on the version of Kirankumar, the police would carry out further inquiry and interrogate his relatives and friends.
In the evening, Kirankumar was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by a local court. The FIR registered by the police has invoked provisions of dowry harassment and domestic violence Acts. Following the arrest, the motor vehicles department suspended Kirankumar from service. Kirankumar was an assistant motor vehicle inspector attached to the MVD enforcement squad in Kollam.As the death triggered widespread public anger in the state and on social media, state police chief Loknath Behera appointed South Zone IG Harshita Athalluri to lead the investigation. Behera said strict legal action would be taken against the culprits without any prejudice.
Twenty-three-year-old Vismaya was found dead under mysterious circumstances in her husband’s home at Poruvazhi in Sooranad in the early hours of Monday. Vismaya’s father and brother alleged that her husband Kirankumar murdered her. They said she had been subjected to torture over dowry by Kirankumar. WhatsApp chats and pictures later released by her relatives revealed the brutal torture faced by Vismaya. She was a final-year BAMS student at the Mannam Memorial Cooperative Ayurveda Medical College, Pandalam. The couple got married on May 31 last year.
Women and Child Welfare Minister Veena George, Kerala Women’s Commission member Shahida Kamal, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and DYFI state secretary A A Rahim were among the persons who visited the parents of Vismaya and promised all support. N K Premachandran, MP, demanded a comprehensive probe into the incident and steps from the government to put an end to such atrocities in the society. The family members told all visiting leaders that they believed the incident was a clear case of murder.
“Doctors told us that my sister was brought to the hospital two hours after her death. None from Kirankumar’s family informed us about her death. Instead, they told us that she was admitted in the private hospital in Sasthamcotta. Later, when I called the hospital to check on her condition, they informed me that she was brought dead there,” said Vijith, Vismaya’s brother.
“I am thankful for the government’s timely intervention in speeding up the probe and suspending Kirankumar from (motor vehicles department) service. I request the government, public and media that this should not be another hashtag or just a day’s issue. We all should fight till the system changes. No other sister or daughter should suffer such a fate,” said Vijith.
Vismaya had informed her friend Aswathy in Chavara through WhatsApp about the frequent harassment she had to face. These messages and pictures are circulating in the media. “There were injury marks on her neck and a cut mark on her wrist. These pieces of evidence show that it was a murder. Kirankumar had blocked my father’s and my number on her phone and she was only allowed to call my mother, that too not frequently,” said her brother.
“In the last call she made to me on Sunday afternoon, she asked for `5,000 for paying her examination fee. When I said I didn’t have that much amount at the time and told her to ask Kiran, she told me he won’t give it but would only abuse her. I told her that I would arrange some money and send it to her by Monday. I never imagined that I won’t be able to talk to her anymore,” said Sajida, Vismaya’s mother.
CM asks cops to crack down on dowry issues
T’Puram: In light of the rising number of crimes against women, the state government on Tuesday directed the police chief to strengthen the domestic conflict resolution centres formed in all districts and make the system more efficient. Also, Kerala Police’s ‘Aparajitha is Online’, aimed at cracking cyber crimes against women, would now deal with domestic violence cases including dowry-related issues, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said. Distressed women can send complaints to aparajitha.pol@kerala.gov.in, contact 9497996992 or the control room manned by the state police chief round the clock at 9497900999/9497900286. The government has also appointed senior IPS officer R Nishanthini as the state nodal officer to look into crimes against women. The CM said women of all categories can send complaints to 9497999955 from Wednesday.