A 26-year-old doctor in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram has died by suicide after her boyfriend allegedly called off their wedding because her family failed to meet dowry demands.
The woman named Shahana was a PG student in the surgery department of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, and she was found dead at her rented apartment on Tuesday (December 5) morning.
Following her death, Shahana's relatives alleged that she died by suicide after her boyfriend refused to marry her as her family could not fulfil dowry demands.
His family allegedly demanded a significant dowry in the form of gold, land, and a BMW car. When Shahana’s family was unable to fulfil the demands, her boyfriend - who was also a representative of the Medical PG Doctors Association, ended their relationship.
Shahana's father, who was working in the Middle East, died recently.
The Medical College Police has registered a case of unnatural death in the matter and the accused, identified as Dr Ruwise, was arrested by the police on Wednesday night.
Furthermore, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday (December 6) ordered the Women and Child Development department to conduct a probe into the matter, and submit a report on the same.
Meanwhile, Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson, Sathidevi, visited Shahana's mother at her house on Wednesday. Sathidevi demanded an investigation into the case, adding that the women's commission would seek a report on the action taken by police in the matter.
Sathidevi said that if it is established that the accused doctor's family demanded a dowry from the victim, a case would be lodged against them under the Prevention of Dowry Act.
The state Minority Commission has also initiated a case on its own based on media reports on the matter.
In the wake of the charges against the accused doctor, the Medical PG Doctors Association relieved him of all his responsibilities within their organisation.
