Kiran admits to multiple assaults

Kollam: Kiran Kumar, husband of Vismaya who was found dead at the former’s house at Poruvazhi in the district on June 21, admitted to the investigation officers that he had subjected her to physical and mental torture before and after marriage.
The probe team led by Sasthamcotta DSP P Rajkumar took Kiran to his house for collecting evidence and recording his statement on Tuesday. He told the investigators that he had physically assaulted her five times after the marriage. But he told them that he hadn’t beaten her up on June 21 night.
Kiran is trying to portray his brutal behaviour towards Vismaya as the fallout of his drinking habit. But police will seek psychologists’ opinion about this change in behaviour.
The police team also conducted a dummy test inside the toilet of Kiran’s house and asked him to show how he broke open the toilet to save her. Police recorded these visuals in the camera. Forensic experts also examined the spot.
On Tuesday morning, investigators checked the bank locker at SBI Sasthannada branch and seized 42 sovereigns of gold. Bank officials said both Kiran and Vismaya came together one week after their marriage to keep the gold there. Thereafter, the locker had not been opened.
According to police sources, Kiran has admitted to the police that he had assaulted Vismaya even on the street and at the Ayurveda College at Pandalam where she was studying for BAMS. Once, while going to his house at Sasthannada, Poruvazhi, from Kollam he had broken the windshield of the car as he was not satisfied with the car’s performance. On the same night he assaulted Vismaya inside the car. As the assault was intolerable to her she managed to escape from the car when the car slowed down.
As she sought shelter in a nearby house of one Aldrian, a home guard, Kiran followed her to this house. When people in the neighbouring houses gathered there, he left the place leaving the car and Vismaya there itself.
Police said Kiran used to assault Vismaya citing the car and dowry whenever he took Vismaya out in the car.
Police said three days were not enough to complete the evidence gathering and police custody for two more days would be sought. They plan to interrogate Kiran along with his parents, sister, brother-in-law and friends.
His close friends, including some of the assistant motor vehicle inspectors at Kollam RTO, also would be summoned for interrogation. Police doubt that some of these friends had mocked Kiran saying that the car he had received was not a top brand. This must have hurt his ego and he had unleashed assault on Vismaya.
As confusion is prevailing on the death of Vismaya, the doctors who conducted the postmortem also visited Kiran’s house to ascertain whether it was a murder. Police doubt whether it would be possible for Vismaya who had 166cm height to hang on an iron bar at a height of 185cm. A conclusion on whether it was a case of murder or suicide could be arrived at only after the medical team’s report is made available.