The kith and kin of a 45-year-old woman, N. Kokila, who ended her life at Merpanaikadu near Keeramangalam in Pudukottai district alleging foisting of a case against her and her husband, staged a protest in front of the Keeramangalam police station and demanded action against the persons responsible for her death.
According to police sources, Kokila was found dead at her house around 4 a.m. on Saturday. A suicide note, purportedly written by her, was recovered by the police. Police said Kokila and her husband Neelakandan had a dispute with a neighbour, M.M. Kumar, over a pathway issue that divides both their houses. The families had an altercation recently.
On September 19, Kumar and his wife Bhuvaneshwari had filed a complaint against Kokila and an FIR was registered under Sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words in public places) , 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of IPC, after she and her husband had allegedly attacked them. Kokila was remanded on September 21 and granted conditional bail later. She was asked to sign at the Keeramangalam police station for the next 15 days.
In her suicide note, she had alleged that the case was foisted against her and her husband, and she had decided to end her life due to the mental stress.
The protesters dispersed after police assured them of appropriate action. However, family members refused to receive Kokila’s body after the autopsy, police said.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).
