Kozhikode: The emergence of CCTV footage has hinted at the likelihood of domestic violence behind the mysterious death by suicide of a 30-year-old woman at Orkkatteri here. Her parents also alleged that Shabna ended her life because of mental and physical torture from her husband's family.
Based on the allegation, the Edachery Police on Friday evening took into custody Haneefa, maternal uncle of Shabna's husband, Habeeb.
Puliyam Veettil Shabna, daughter of Ammed- Mariyam from Aroor, Ayanchery here was found hanging at her husband Thantarkkanty Habeeb's house at Kunnummakkara near Orkkatteri on Monday night. The Edachery Police had registered a case for unnatural death after receiving a complaint from the woman's family.
Shabna married Habeeb 11 years ago and the couple has a 10-year-old daughter. Shabna's family alleged that her husband and relatives tortured her regularly. The sudden provocation that led to her suicide was the physical assault from Haneefa, they said.
The relatives have claimed that the CCTV footage shows Haneefa assaulting Shabna the day she died by suicide. Though Shabna is not seen in the footage, it shows Haneefa slapping someone standing near the front door of the house. A woman was also seen blocking him.
“Dejected over the physical assault, Shabna went to her room and hanged herself,” a social worker from Ayanchery told Onmanorama.
Shabna was found hanging at Habeeb's house around 9.30 pm on December 4. It is reported that Habeeb's family members were at the house at the time. Shabna's daughter alerted them about noises coming from her mother's room, but they allegedly ignored it. It is also alleged that some of the relatives told the girl to let her mother die. Later, they informed Shabna's parents after peeping through the windows and finding her hanging.
Shabna's family alleged that even though Habeeb's family were aware that she was trying to die by suicide, they neither intervened nor informed them. They were simply watching her closely through the window of her bedroom to confirm the death, they alleged.
A shocker for Habeeb
Shabna ended her life when Habeeb was flying to Kozhikode to spend the vacation with her. Shabna had moved to her parents' house due to alleged torture from her husband's relatives. But she returned to the house on Monday to meet Habeeb, who was scheduled to land on Tuesday.
Shabna demanded her gold to be returned
According to reports, Shabna had an argument with her husband's family on the 960 grams of gold, her family had given in dowry. She planned to use that gold to raise money for a house construction, but Habeeb's family refused. Habeeb's relatives, including Haneefa, stayed back to question Shabna, her relatives have alleged.
Shabna's family collected the CCTV footage to prove their charges against Habeeb's relatives. After the footage was leaked online, a social media campaign demanding justice of Shabna was launched.
