Kottayam: When the tragic news of Jisemol's death by suicide broke, her neighbours and local residents were shocked, though it came as less of a surprise to those who knew her closely.

Jisemol, a courageous woman and a successful lawyer, had endured years of torture and torment after her marriage, largely because of the colour of her skin. Her family and friends believe that the discrimination led to her untimely death.

On April 15, around 1.30 pm, Jisemol, a practising lawyer at the Kerala High Court and former president of Mutholy panchayat, jumped into the Meenachil river with her daughters Neha (4) and Ponnu (1) from Kannamburakadavu in Peroor. She had arrived at the spot on a scooter, parked it by the roadside, and leapt into the river from Pallikkunnukadavu near Arumanur.

"There are concerning reasons behind her death. She is a victim of domestic abuse and colour discrimination. She was not a woman who would end her life over some small issues, she was brought up that way," said Nila S, Jisemol's friend and roommate at her college in Sullya, Karnataka.

Nila said last time they met, Jisemol was very upset about the abuse she faced from her husband, Jimmy Joseph, and his family because of her skin colour. "We last met on November 29 in Thiruvananthapuram. She asked me which of her two children I loved the most. Both of them were beloved to me, but I accidentally mentioned the younger one’s name, as she was not even a year old at the time."

Nila recollected how Jisemol became very upset after hearing her answer. Jisemol said no one liked her or her elder daughter because of their skin colour. "My husband's family never liked her. Everyone loves the younger one. They also harass me for not giving birth to a boy," Nila recalled Jisemol telling her.

Jisemol's father, PK Thomas, accused Jimmy's mother, Beena, and his sister Deepa of repeatedly abusing his daughter because of her dark skin. "They abused my daughter for being black and for not light-skinned," he said in a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, demanding a fair investigation into her death.

The Ettumanor Police on Wednesday arrested Jimmy Joseph and his father, Joseph, after gathering evidence of domestic abuse against Jisemol. "The accused are remanded, and they have confessed to the crime. We have charged sections concerning abetment of murder and domestic abuse against the accused," said Sub Inspector Akhil Dev. He said the investigation is ongoing, and they are gathering more evidence in the case.

Thomas also alleged that Jimmy and his family harassed his daughter for not providing dowry after their marriage in July 2019. He said that while Jimmy's sisters were married off with large dowries, Jisemol did not bring any, and as a result, she faced severe mental harassment. He also alleged instances of physical torture towards his daughter.

Thomas said that while Jisemol was pregnant with her elder daughter Neha, she was physically abused by Beena and Deepa for using gas stove and boiling water. Nila also recounted similar incidents of abuse faced by Jisemol. She recalled that after the birth of Neha, Jisemol was staying at a hostel in Ernakulam. When Nila asked why she wasn’t staying with her husband, Jisemol replied that there were many issues at home. She later said that the matter had been resolved.

Nila said that Jisemol was the kind of person who faced problems bravely, but there were moments when she found her in tears. "When I called her a few months ago, she was weeping. When I asked her why she was crying, she told me that Jimmy had beaten her. She described him as an arrogant person and did not share any other details," she said.

Jisemol had recently opened a new office at Kottaramattom in Pala and had borrowed some money from her husband to set it up. However, just a week later, Jimmy began harassing her, demanding the money back. Thomas alleged that Jimmy even tried to kill her by banging her head against the wall. "I asked her to leave the house and return to me, but she refused, saying it would only make Jimmy angrier," Thomas said.

Days before her death, it is alleged that Jimmy held Jisemol's mobile phone and prevented her from contacting anyone. "I tried calling her on April 13 and 14, but couldn’t reach her," Thomas said. Nila also noted that Jisemol did not respond to any messages sent just two days before her death. "Jimmy and his family severely tortured my daughter in recent days. She wouldn’t have taken her own life—they drove her to it," Thomas alleged.