Kottayam lawyer Jisemol's relatives blame husband's family for her death

Kottayam: The relatives of Kottayam lawyer Jisemol, who died by suicide on Tuesday, have alleged that her husband’s family is responsible for her death.

Speaking to reporters in Pala, her father, Thomas, said he does not believe Jisemol would have taken her own life. "There is foul play in her death. I will go to any extent to get her justice," he said. 

Jisemol, a resident of Neerikkad in Ettumanoor, jumped into the Meenachil river at Kannamburakadavu in Peroor around 1.30 pm on April 15, along with her daughters Neha (5) and Ponnu (1). The autopsy report confirmed that the cause of Jisemol’s death was drowning. A vein on Jisemol’s hand had been cut, and she also had a wound on her lower back. The report states that Jisemol poisoned her children before jumping into the river, as traces of disinfectant were detected in the kids' bodies.

Thomas also alleged that her husband had beaten her previously. "One day, when I met her, there was an injury mark on her head. She initially told me it happened when she accidentally hit the door. But two days later, she admitted that her husband had beaten her. She didn’t reveal it at first because she was afraid of further attacks," he said. 

Thomas and his son Jithu returned from the UK on Thursday following the news of Jisemol’s death. Jithu said his sister seemed happy the last time they spoke. "She was very positive. She even talked about going on a trip when I returned and shared her future plans. After that, I can’t believe she would do something like this. She would never do this," he said.

They also alleged that Jisemol was mentally harassed by her husband’s mother and sister, and was denied money whenever she was in need. They claimed that issues within her husband's family led to her death and demanded a fair investigation by the police.