Kasaragod woman dies in suspected suicide crash; 7-year-old daughter riding pillion critical

Kasaragod: A young mother of three, including an infant, died after her scooter collided head-on with a truck on the national highway in Kanhangad on Thursday, in a case where police have not ruled out the possibility of suicide.

The deceased, Ramseena (29), a resident of Padannakkad, was riding with her second child, Shahma (7), when the crash occurred. Ramseena died before reaching the District Hospital, about 5km away. Shahma sustained critical head injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru.

Ramseena is survived by her husband, Abdul Samad — a native of Bekal currently working in Dubai — and two other children, Shifana (13) and Ayyaz, who is just one-and-a-half months old.

Moments before the accident, Ramseena was seen entering a fuel station at Aingoth, near her home, where she circled twice in what staff described as "rash driving". CCTV footage showed Shahma clinging to her as the scooter skidded twice within the station premises before Ramseena regained control and rode off towards Kanhangad. She did not buy any fuel, employees said.

A few minutes later, her scooter rammed into a Maharashtra-registered truck transporting onions to Kerala. "The driver said he applied the brakes and brought the truck to a halt, but the scooter crashed into it," said Hosdurg Station House Officer - Inspector Ajith Kumar P.

Based on a complaint filed by the family, police have registered a case under Section 106(1) for rash or negligent driving causing death. The driver has not been named in the FIR.

She was on the wrong side of a one-way stretch towards Kannur, though she was heading in the opposite direction towards Kasaragod, the officer said. "She recently gave birth and could have been under depression. We are still investigating. Her daughter is not in a condition to speak yet," he said.

Ramseena’s neighbour, Abdulla, said she had been under treatment for mental health issues. Until recently, her mother Sainaba, who died of cancer, had been caring for her. "She was doing better, but after her youngest child was born, we don't know what changed," he said.

New mothers are known to experience postpartum depression — a mood disorder that can cause intense sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion, often affecting their ability to function or care for their children.

Police said the charges may be amended based on the findings of the investigation.