THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr EA Ruwise, accused in connection with the death of Dr Shahana, has been arrested for abetment of suicide under the sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act, in Thiruvananthapuram. He will be produced before the court in the evening.
The Medical College Police took him into custody from a relative's house at Karunagapally, on Wednesday night. If convicted Kerala University of Health Science has the powers to cancel his MBBS degree granted by the university.
"We have taken him into custody based on the statements of the victim's family. He is being interrogated. We have to check the veracity of various statements we have recorded. Further proceedings including his arrest will be decided only after that," a senior officer said.
Ruwise is a native of Shaktikulangara in Kollam. Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association removed him as the state president after the police registered a case.
Shahana’s mother and sister alleged that Ruwise backed out of a marriage proposal after the family could not meet his dowry demands. It is alleged that the Ruwise’s family demanded 150 sovereign gold, 15 acres of land and a BMW car as dowry.
After the incident, Shahana was in depression. The 28-year-old died by suicide after injecting an anaesthesia drug at her apartment near the college on Tuesday night. She was a postgraduate student of surgery at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
The victim's father, who was working in the Middle East, died recently.
On Wednesday, the government ordered a probe into the death of Shahana after allegations of dowry-related issues causing the suicide cropped up.
Health Minister Veena George directed the director of the Women and Child Development Department to carry out a probe and submit a report regarding this.
The state Minority Commission also intervened in the issue and initiated a case on its own based on media reports in this regard.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7).
(With inputs from PTI)