It has been over a month since 37-year-old Shruthi Narayanan died by suicide in Bengaluru, allegedly after facing harassment from her husband, but her family is still awaiting justice. Shruthi, who worked as a journalist with Reuters, was found dead in her apartment in Bengaluru’s Whitefield on March 24. When she did not respond to their messages, her family had barged into her apartment, where they found she had died by suicide.
Shruthi, who was a native of Kasaragod in Kerala, was married to Anish Kodayan Koroth. The police had reportedly found a suicide note in their apartment, dated March 20, just days before her death, in which she had alleged that Anish would allegedly harass and abuse her. After her death, Shruthi’s brother Nishanth filed a complaint with the Whitefield police against Anish, after which he was booked under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 498 A (cruelty by husband or relative) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
However, justice continues to evade Shruthi’s family, as the police have been unable to trace Anish, who went missing soon after her death. Speaking to TNM, Whitefield S Girish said that efforts are on to trace him. “The husband has been absconding. Neither the family nor the police have been able to get in touch with him. We are not getting any information. Our teams have even gone to Kerala two-three times. But we will arrest him,” the police official said.
In his complaint, Nishanth had alleged that Anish would physically abuse Shruthi regularly while he was in an inebriated condition. He would also allegedly harass her about money, and on one occasion in January this year, Anish allegedly tried to injure Shruthi but was stopped by the intervention of the apartment’s security guards. Two days before she was found dead, Shruthi’s family had tried to contact her but did not get any response. Finally, on March 24, Nishanth along with a few others broke into her apartment and found her body.
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.