A Dalit woman living with her husband’s parents in Hyderabad’s Malkajgiri died by suicide on March 4, alleging that her husband, who lives in the United States, had been harassing her over phone calls. Appagalla Usharani (36), who belongs to the Madiga Scheduled Caste, had married Alahari Sriram Anush (40) from the Naidu community in 2022.
Police have booked Anush under Sections 85 (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Usharani’s mother Suguna, who lodged a police complaint, said she found a suicide letter in which her daughter mentioned mental and physical harassment by her husband. She alleged that Anush expressed suspicions of Usharani having extramarital relationships every time he made video calls, and harassed her by asking her for call logs and screenshots. The harassment increased after he lost his job about a month ago, the complaint said.
Usharani and Anush married in 2022. A year later, Anush moved to the US. In September 2023, Usharani joined him there but returned to India in April 2024 to live with his parents in Malkajgiri, the complaint said.
The FIR says that Usharani’s mother-in-law Nirmala last saw her on the night of March 3 before going to sleep. The next morning, she knocked on Usharani’s bedroom door but did not get any response. By afternoon, she had the door broken open with their watchman’s help and found that Usharani had died by suicide.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help.
Tamil Nadu:
State health department suicide helpline number - 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in TN)
Telangana:
Telangana government suicide prevention toll free no - 104
Roshni- 040-66202000, 66202001
SEVA- 09441778290, 040 - 27504682 (between 9 AM and 7 PM)
Karnataka:
Sahai : 24-hour helpline numbers: 080- 65000111, 080-65000222
Kerala:
Maithri helpline - 0484-2540530
Chaithram helpline: 0484-2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Andhra Pradesh:
Life Suicide Prevention Helpline No.78930-78930
Roshni
Helpline 1: 9166202000
Helpline 2: 9127848584