In a tragic incident, a 32-year-old woman from Kerala and her one-year-old daughter were recently found dead in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Sharjah following years of alleged dowry-related harassment, Kerala police said.
Police registered a case based on a complaint filed by the mother of the woman. As per the FIR, the 32-year-old woman, later identified as Vipanchika Mani, was found dead along with her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Vybhavi, in Al Nahda, Sharjah, on July 8.
Vipanchika had married Nidheesh in 2020 and moved to Sharjah. Nidheesh has been named as the first accused in the case, followed by his sister Neethu and their father. The incident is being treated as a case of suicide after an alleged child murder.
The case has been registered under Sections 85 (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 (penalty for giving or taking dowry) and 4 (penalty for demanding dowry) of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. Authorities have stated that further investigation is underway.
The Suicide Angle
As per a report by India Today, Vipanchika, who hailed from Kerala's Kollam, had posted a suicide note on her Facebook account. The handwritten note contained allegations of abuse, including claims of sexual harassment by her father-in-law.
In her handwritten note, Vipanjika reportedly shared the details of the brutal torture she underwent at her husband’s home.
In the note she stated that her father-in-law misbehaved with her and when she informed Nidheesh about it, he didn’t do anything and said he married her for his father too.
“He used to watch certain videos and used to demand that I do those in bed. I was tortured and beaten up like a dog. I can’t take it anymore. Don’t spare them,” she is said to have written in the note.
What Did The Woman's Mother Say?
The woman's mother, in her complaint, mentioned that Vipanchika endured brutal mental and physical torture by her husband, who claimed that the dowry given was not enough.
She also mentioned that Vipanchika's hair was cut to make her look ugly, as she was fair while her husband and his family were dark in complexion. Moreover, her appearance was deliberately altered by shaving her head, and she was served a divorce notice when she questioned her husband’s alleged extramarital affairs.
Speaking to the media, Vipanchika’s mother said they were unaware of the extent of her daughter’s distress. “The accused should be given adequate punishment. My daughter will attain peace only then,” she said, as per reports.
