Kerala woman doctor's suicide; Minister orders probe into dowry allegations
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 7: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday ordered a probe into the death of a young woman doctor who died allegedly of suicide here on December 5.
Shahana, a 26-year-old postgraduate doctor at the surgery department in the Government Medical College here, was found unconscious at her apartment and later declared brought dead at the hospital, police had said.
Medical College police, which registered a case of unnatural death, has started a probe and recorded statements of the deceased doctor's relatives. Though police didn't divulge much details, sources said a purported suicide note was recovered from the apartment in which the victim has stated that "everybody wants money only".
In a statement, George said the probe was ordered after allegations of dowry related issues causing the suicide cropped up.
Directions have been given to the director of the Women and Child Development Department to carry out a probe and submit a report, she said.
The state Minority Commission also intervened into the issue and initiated a case on its own based on media reports in this regard.
Its Chairperson A A Rasheed directed district collector, city police commissioner and director of medical education to appear before the Commission during its next sitting here on December 14 and submit a report on the incident, an official statement said.
Persons close to the deceased's family alleged that Shahana was depressed as her friend, who was also a doctor, backed out of their marriage citing dowry as the reason.
Though Shahana's family was ready to give dowry, the groom's family had later demanded a heftier amount which the former was unable to meet, a local councillor alleged.
"They demanded a huge amount as dowry and later backed out from the proposal. Dr Shahana was depressed over that," the councillor alleged.
State Women's Commission Chairperson P Sathidevi visited Dr Shahana's home in nearby Venjaramoodu and consoled her mother.
The victim's father, who was working in the Middle East, died recently.
Expressing grief and concern over the alleged suicide of the young doctor, Sathidevi said stringent measures should be taken if the mental agony caused due to dowry had forced her to take the extreme step.
A serious and comprehensive probe should be carried out into the incident, she demanded.
The women's panel chairperson also said youngsters should be prepared to say no to marriages involving dowry.
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Allahabad HC sets aside maintenance order in favour of earning wife, says she didn't tell truth
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.
Justice Madan Pal Singh also allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the man, Ankit Saha.
"A perusal of the impugned judgment indicates that in the affidavit filed before the trial court, the opposite party herself admitted that she is a post-graduate and a web designer by qualification. She is working as a senior sales coordinator in a company and getting a salary of Rs 34,000 per month," the court said in the December 3 order.
"But in her cross-examination, she has admitted that she was earning Rs 36,000 per month. Such an amount for a wife who has no other liability cannot be said to be meagre; whereas the man has the responsibility of maintaining his aged parents and other social obligations," it observed.
The high court observed that the woman was not entitled to get any maintenance from her husband "as she is an earning lady and able to maintain herself".
The man's counsel argued in court that the estranged wife did not reveal the whole truth in the affidavit.
"She claimed herself to be an illiterate and unemployed woman. When the document filed by the man was shown to her before the trial court, she admitted her income during cross-examination. Thus, it is clear that she did not come before the trial court with clean hands," the counsel submitted.
The court, in its order, said, "Cases of those litigants who have no regard for the truth and those who indulge in suppressing material facts need to be thrown out of the court."
It impugned the lower court's February 17 judgment and order, passed by the principal judge of a family court in Gautam Buddh Nagar and allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the man.
