TIRUCHY: A young woman, along with a six-month-old baby girl, jumped into a well and died by suicide on Wednesday night, reportedly after dowry harassment by her in-laws. Police arrested her mother-in-law on Thursday, and a search is on for her father-in-law.
Sivabalan (33), a temporary staff member at Cooperative Credit Society at Ayakkaranpulam near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam, married Kavya (20) after a love affair. It is said that Sivabalan’s mother, Senthamizh Selvi (53), a school teacher and his father Palanidurai (57), a noon meal organiser in a school, were in the habit of quarrelling with Kavya for failing to bring dowry.
The frequent quarrel frustrated Kavya, and so Sivabalan sent his wife to her paternal house nearby.
Still, Sivabalan’s parents continued to torture her, and so the frustrated Kavya, on Wednesday night, took the baby and jumped into the well near the house after recording her statement and sharing it on social media.
According to her statement, her husband was always protecting her from his parents whenever they quarrelled. She stated that she had taken the extreme step, unable to bear the torture by her in-laws.
On Thursday morning, on seeing the statement on social media, Sivabalan and the relatives went to the well and found the bodies of Kavya and the baby. Vedaranyam police rushed to the spot, retrieved the bodies and sent them to the hospital. The police also registered a case and arrested Sivabalan’s mother, Senthamizh Selvi, and a search is on for Palanidurai, who had absconded.
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