Man arrested near Nagapattinam after disabled wife dies by suicide due to dowry harassment

NAGAPATTINAM: A 42-year-old medical representative was arrested for abetment near Mayiladuthurai on Friday after his disabled wife allegedly died by suicide and her father alleged the man had been harassing her for dowry. 

Nithya (27), the wife of R Selvamuthukumar, allegedly died by suicide at her house in Ivanallur village near Mayiladuthurai on Thursday afternoon. Selvamuthukumar is alleged to have repeatedly harassed Nithya, who was deaf and non-verbal, for dowry. Selvamuthukumar married Nithya, from Kozhikutthi village, four years ago. The couple have a three-year-old son. Police said that Selvamuthukumar, who had been married and divorced before, received a huge dowry from Nithya’s family. 

However, he had reportedly been demanding more money from the family on the ground that he would not be able to continue with his job. The family gave him Rs 1 lakh recently, but he continued to demand more money citing Nithya’s disability. Police said Nithya would convey her ordeal to her parents through sign language but they would convince her to go back to her husband. 

On Thursday afternoon, she was found dead at her husband's house. The body was retrieved and sent to Mayiladuthurai Government General Hospital for autopsy. A case was registered in Manalmedu Police Station under CrPC section 174 (unnatural death). After Nithya's father Ramamurthy complained to the police that his daughter had ended her life due to dowry harassment, the case was referred to the Mayiladuthurai Revenue Divisional Officer V Maharani for inquiry. Ramamurthy, in his complaint, also alleged that Nithya had informed him her husband was making video calls to other women.

After a  preliminary inquiry by police and the RDO suggested Selvamuthukumar was responsible for Nithya's death, he was arrested and booked under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of IPC. He has remanded to judicial custody. Further investigations are underway.