Kumarakom: A 34-year-old woman tried to commit suicide in front of the panchayat office here on Monday. Her husband was also with her when the incident happened.
A defamatory rumor about the woman led the couple to contemplate suicide. Police have registered a case against four CPM workers, based on the statement of the woman, Anita, wife of Santosh of Veranampakkal.
Though the woman doused herself with kerosene, panchayat president C.P. Salimon and women members prevented her from immolating herself. She was later shifted to a hospital.
Anita later said she had earlier lodged a police complaint, but no action was taken. The woman's husband is a BDJS activist. She has a mobile phone shop at Chanthakavala, and it has been alleged that a few men spread rumors linking her to a youth.
On Sunday, Anita went to the panchayat office to complain against the men to the panchayat president Salimon. Block panchayat member K.V. Bindu, and members Usha Sali and P.K. Shanta Kumar, too, were with Salimon when Anita met him.
After coming out of the office, she poured kerosene on her from a bottle she had kept with her. Salimon snatched away the bottle, while other members held the woman back.
Hearing the commotion, a crowd gathered at the office. A police team under sub-inspector R. Rajeev arrived at the scene and took the woman to the station, before shifting her to the health centre.
Anita said no action was taken based on her complaint lodged earlier with the police.
The woman said she had gone shopping to Alappuzha with a friend on June 23, and her brother-in-law received a phone call saying police had picked her up along with a youth from a lodge. Photographs of the woman and the youth, too, were circulated over the phone.
Anita said she had named the rumormonger in her police complaint. She demanded the police to probe the rumor so that her innocence could be proved.
Sub-inspector R. Rajeev said the police received her complaint on Saturday afternoon, and the details of the man she had named, was collected on Sunday. The man was summoned to the station on Monday, the officer said.
A probe was also launched to find those who had spread the rumor.
Meanwhile, the youth, whose name was linked to Anita, too, approached the police.
BJP worker Abhilash told the police that the rumors were to defame him. Notices were also circulated, he said.
Panchayat president Salimon, meanwhile, demanded the police to register a case against Anita for disrupting the functions of the panchayat office.