Two sisters hailing from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district died by suicide on Tuesday, June 6, after their parents allegedly opposed their inter-faith relationships. The deceased have been identified as Gayatri (23) and Vidya (21) from Ayanpudhupatti village of Manapparai taluk. The sisters used to work in a garment factory in Kangeyam of Tiruppur district, where they reportedly met and fell in love with two Muslim brothers a few years ago.
Gayatri and Vidya had gone to Ayanpudhupatti for the annual village temple festival a few days back. According to a TOI report, the women’s parents Pitchai and Akilandeshwari had opposed their relationships earlier and asked them to stop seeing the men. During their recent visit home, their mother Akilandeshwari found out that the sisters were speaking to the men on phone and further warned the duo. Around 7.30 am on Tuesday morning, the sisters left their house and did not come back. Later, the parents and local residents found them dead less than half a kilometer from the house.
Valanadu police and Thuvarankurichi fire and safety personnel rushed to the spot to recover the bodies and sent them to the Manapparai Government Hospital for post-mortem. The police have registered a case under section 174 (enquire and report on suicide) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and initiated an investigation.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.