She kept faith despite abuse & violence

Thiruvananthapuram: For 16 years, she put with her husband despite repeated instances of domestic violence. She never raised a finger to escape this toxic relationship and begin a new life though neighbours advised the same numerous times. Smitha always forgave Sajeev Kumar every single time and that very act proved fatal early on Thursday.
Neighbours and relatives had witnessed their quarrels countless times. She would stomp off and take refuge in the home of a close relative and Kumar would come begging her mercy. Eventually, each time she would forgive him and return home. Something similar happened on Wednesday night.
Kumar came home in an inebriated state and hit her. She ran out of their home and took refuge in a neighbour’s residence just 100m away. After a while, the neighbour, Saneesh alias Kunju, dropped her home.
“Roughly 20 minutes had passed after I dropped her home and then I received a call from another neighbour saying that she has been killed,” he said, adding that she maintained a good relationship with his family. Being an auto driver, he had dropped her at her relatives’ home several times in the past. The last such occasion was one-and-a-half years ago. Saneesh added that Kumar would beat her up using handles of pickaxes and shovels.
Smitha’s brother Sumesh admitted that she had married Kumar against her family’s wishes. She was a nurse by profession, but, he never allowed her to work. He had destroyed all her certificates.
“Once, while staying with her relatives, she got a job at a medical store in Aryanad. But, he went there, created a ruckus and she lost that job,” Sumesh said, adding that there was a police case against Kumar in this regard. Recently, she worked at a medical store in Nedumangad and Kumar used to create problems there too.
On Thursday, when the police team reached the spot, neighbours staged a protest in the area to arrest Kumar’s mother who lived with the family. Neighbours alleged that she too was responsible for what happened to Smitha as she always encouraged the violent behaviour of her son. The protesters calmed down only after the police promised that the investigation team would conduct a thorough probe and take appropriate action.
“She was a victim of domestic violence and was often heard saying that her daughter-in-law too should experience the same pain,” said another neighbour.