A 48-year-old man, who was imprisoned in Karnataka’s Mandya district for allegedly killing his daughter-in-law, took his own life on Tuesday. Although he was rushed to hospital, he succumbed.
Ramesh* was arrested on November 9 for chasing and stabbing his daughter-in-law Vani* in broad daylight. The Mandya Rural Police, who investigated the case, say that Ramesh had sexually harassed his daughter-in-law Vani for over a year.
Vani had allegedly informed her husband Arun, a shop owner in the village, about Ramesh’s misconduct.
“The family members and residents in the neighbourhood met on several occasions over the last one year to discuss the issue and finally, in July this year, when Ramesh kept harassing her, Arun and Vani moved out of the family home and began living separately,” the Mandya Rural Police said.
Investigating officers say that Ramesh allegedly continued to sexually harass Vani in public after the couple moved to a new house. He even allegedly threatened to kill her on multiple occasions.
On November 9, Ramesh allegedly followed Vani from her husband’s shop and began demanding that she comply with his demands.
When Vani started running, Ramesh allegedly chased her and stabbed her in the chest. “Passersby tried to intervene but he threatened to stab them too. The village residents called Vani’s husband immediately. They also tried to pacify Rameshand convinced him to stop the violence,” the police said.
However, Ramesh allegedly stabbed Vani once more on her hand and slit her throat. By the time Arun arrived at the spot, Ramesh had allegedly killed Vani. The village residents and Arun chased Ramesh in a bid to beat him up. However, Ramesh allegedly escaped.
Arun then filed a complaint with the Mandya Rural Police, accusing his father of murdering his wife. The Mandya Rural Police had arrested Ramesh on the same day and the magistrate had remanded him to judicial custody.
“He did not leave behind a death note but we suspect that he could not bear the shame and took the step. The jailers tried to rescue him when they found that he tried to kill himself. He was rushed to MIMS (Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences) and was in the Intensive Care Unit. He did not respond to the treatment and died,” the police added.
The Mandya Rural Police have registered an unnatural death report.
(*As mandated by the Supreme Court, all names have been changed to protect the identity of the victim of sexual offence, including those who have died)