KOCHI: Police on Monday arrested the boyfriend of the 23-year-old woman who died by suicide in Kothamangalam, on charges of rape under the pretext of marriage, abetment of suicide and assault. The case has sparked a political controversy, with BJP leaders alleging that the woman was the victim of a ‘love jihad’-linked religious conversion attempt.
The deceased, Sona Eldhose, a resident of Puthupady in Kothamangalam and a TTC student at an institute in Muvattupuzha, was found dead at her residence around 2 pm on Saturday. She was alone at the time.
Ramees, 24, a native of Alangad in Aluva and a temporary employee at the Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery, was first taken into preventive custody, and was later formally arrested under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment of suicide, rape under the pretext of marriage, wrongful confinement, and voluntarily causing hurt. Police said his father and mother have also been booked and will be taken into custody for questioning.
The Ernakulam rural police said a suicide note recovered from Sona’s house says she was pressured by Ramees and his father to convert to their faith, and that she was assaulted over it.
“We have obtained evidence from their WhatsApp chats indicating that Ramees assaulted Sona. The messages also reveal that when Sona expressed her intention to end her life, Ramees encouraged her to do so,” an officer said.
The note, described by the investigators as a turning point in the case, begins: “I don’t want to live a life where I have to endure such betrayal.”
Her death not isolated incident: BJP
Sona wrote that she had forgiven Ramees after his arrest in an immoral trafficking case, but alleged he repeatedly proved he never truly loved her. She accused him of forcing her to convert to his religion despite her sacrifices.
The note also claims that his family told her they had arranged a car to take her to Ponnani for religious conversion, and that marriage would take place only two months after the conversion. There was no other option, they had asserted, the note says. His parents, sisters, and friends allegedly supported the plan.
BJP national executive committee member P K Krishnadas, who visited Sona’s family at Karukadam with other party leaders, said her death was not an isolated incident.
“Across Kerala, religious extremists lure girls pretending love, convert those who agree and use them for extremist activities. This is happening on a large scale, yet both the government and the Opposition try to pass it off as an isolated case,” he alleged.
Police said the probe, led by Ernakulam district police chief M Hemalatha, is progressing, and Ramees’ family members are likely to be made co-accused. They also revealed that Ramees had previously been booked in around seven narcotics-related cases.
