In a tragic incident that has been reported from the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, a postgraduate student at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, identified as Shahana, committed suicide due to dowry demands. The 26-year-old resident doctor who worked in the surgery department of the college was found dead at her rented apartment near the institute on Tuesday (5th December) morning.
Her relatives stated she committed suicide after her male friend, also a PG doctor walked away from the marriage proposal. According to the reports, the boy proposed to the girl for the marriage but demanded a substantial dowry, leading to emotional distress.
The accused PG doctor has been identified as Dr E A Ruwais and has been taken into custody by the Police. He has been charged with abetment to suicide and under sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Police said that the decision to arrest him will soon be taken after questioning.
Ruwais’s family allegedly demanded a large dowry of gold, land, and a BMW car. Shahana’s family was unable to meet these requirements. The male doctor, who was also a representative of the Medical PG Doctors Association, ended the relationship as a result.
Reportedly, Shahana’s family was already willing to give 50 sovereigns of gold, properties worth Rs 50 lakhs, and a car. However, the demands from the Ruwais’s family kept on increasing. The girl was left heartbroken after he walked out of the marriage.
A case of unnatural death has been registered by the Medical College police. The police also launched an investigation and stated that Shahana had been experiencing emotional distress, possibly as a result of alleged dowry demands. Though a note believed to be her suicide note mentioned that people were only concerned with money, it made no mention of the dowry fallout. In the note, Shahana also did not mention any names.
Relatives of the girl talked to the media and stated that the girl was distressed due to increasing dowry demands. “He came to us with the proposal and said he liked my sister. She also was agreeable. When we met his father, it was clear that he was someone who wanted more dowry. We said we could give what a family like us could afford. The discussions went on many times and finally, it was called off,” Shahana’s brother said.
“We had offered to give Rs 50 lakhs, 50 sovereigns of gold, and a car. But they were not satisfied with this. Her father died a few months ago and the family had some financial issues,” one of the other relatives spoke to the media. Reports mention that the victim’s father, who was working in the Middle East had died recently.
Meanwhile, Kerala Women’s Commission Chairperson Advocate Sathidevi, who met Shahana’s mother at her home, demanded that this matter be thoroughly investigated. The Women’s Commission will also request a police report.
Based on media reports, the state Minority Commission has also initiated its own case. The Medical PG Doctors Association has abdicated the accused doctor of all organsational responsibilities. He has been taken into custody and has been booked for abetment to suicide under sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Further investigations are underway.