Kalpetta (Wayanad): A man and his parents have been booked over the recent death of his wife and five-year-old daughter.
Darshana, 32, had jumped into the river at Venniyode along with five-year-old daughter Daksha.
Now, a case has been filed under Indian Penal Code sections on domestic abuse and abetment of suicide against her husband Omprakash and his parents Rishabraj and Brahmila. This follows a complaint by Darshana's parents V G Vijaykumar and Vishalakshi that she ended her life due to the harassment by her husband and family members.
The three accused are absconding, the police said.
After consuming pesticide around 3pm on July 13, Darshana jumped into the river near her husband's home along with her daughter. The local residents rescued Darshana and rushed her to the hospital, but she died while under treatment. She had been five months pregnant then. The daughter's body was recovered three days later.
‘Harassment since wedding’
Darshana's parents alleged that their daughter had to suffer severe harassment by her husband's family soon after marriage. Darshana got married on October 23, 2016.
The domestic problems started after she refused to give the gold, which was gifted to her on wedding, for the coffee business of her father-in-law. She was regularly harassed over the issue.
The harassment continued after she refused to give money to Omprakash to buy a car, her parents alleged. The money was earned while working at a veterinary college at Pookode.
Her husband, Omprakash, had even forbidden her from visiting her home.
The parents further said that the daughter had complained that she had been slapped by her husband and father-in-law. In another incident, when she arrived late after visiting her home, the father-in-law verbally abused her family and incited her to take the extreme step. The incident was recorded on the mobile phone and the footage submitted to the Kambalakkad police station. They allegedly did not receive any significant support from the police.
Darshana backed off from divorcing Omprakash as she feared that her child would lose her father.
Adding to her worries, her husband and in-laws coerced her to undergo abortion twice. She took the extreme step after putting up with physical and mental abuse for six-and-a-half years, her parents alleged.
Darshana, who always performed well in studies, had made it to several Public Service Commission rank lists. She had secured the 72nd rank in the current list of upper-primary school teachers. Furthermore, on July 13, she had also received the order for the job as a junior scientific assistant.
The case is being probed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kalpetta. The complaint was lodged with Kambalakkad police and district police chief, demanding stringent legal action against Omprakash and his family.
