Kochi: A 26-year-old man was found hanging inside his apartment in Thripunithura on Thursday, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, including allegations of ongoing domestic disputes and previous legal proceedings involving the deceased and his wife's family.

The deceased, identified as Manu, a native of Kuttikkattuveli in Cherthala, Alappuzha, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the bedroom of his flat at Karingachira in Thripunithura on Thursday morning. According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Hill Palace Police, the incident is believed to have occurred sometime between 6 pm on Wednesday and 11.30 am on Thursday.

Though Manu was rushed to Thripunithura Taluk Hospital after being found, doctors declared him dead on arrival. The police have recovered a suicide note from his room, which hinted that he was committing suicide due to a ‘false’ case registered based on a complaint filed by his wife and her parents, claiming that he had kept her confined at home.

“...They are responsible for my death. I do not want such an investigation case against me... They did not even let me see her once. I am leaving. This letter is my dying declaration. I, who looked after her with great difficulty, became nothing to her over a small argument. Goodbye,” the note read.

Hill Palace police confirmed that a criminal case had previously been registered against Manu at Arthunkal Police Station in Alappuzha district following a complaint filed by his wife.

“We verified it with Arthunkal police. We have to collect the statements of his family, wife and her family for more clarity about the case,” police sources said.

Meanwhile, speaking to Onmanorama, Nibin, a friend of the deceased, who has been assisting the family after Manu’s death, recounted the sequence of events.

“His mother, Mini, asked me to go check on him after he failed to answer her calls. I initially thought he was sleeping as we had consumed liquor together the previous night. So I pacified his mother,” Nibin said.

According to him, he later received information that Manu had been taken to the hospital. “A few minutes later, his mother called again and said someone informed her that Manu was admitted to the hospital and his condition was serious. On reaching the hospital, I found that he had committed suicide," he added.

Nibin alleged that the deceased had been facing marital and family-related disputes for a long time. According to him, Manu's wife and her relatives had earlier filed a case against him alleging domestic abuse and unlawful confinement. 

“His wife’s father disliked him for a long time; he used to hit and harass him,” Nibin alleged.

However, the police have not commented on the allegations made by the deceased's friend and said statements from Manu's family members, his wife and her relatives would be recorded as part of the investigation. The post-mortem examination was completed, and the body was subsequently released to the family for funeral rites.

The police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and launched an investigation.