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A 22-year-old IT employee from Coimbatore was found dead on the rooftop of his girlfriend’s house in Kulasekaram of Kanniyakumari district, on Thursday, June 19. The deceased, identified as Dhanush from Kaavuvilai, had been living with his parents in Coimbatore and working in an IT company. Though the police said a case of suicide has been registered, Dhanush’s father Duraisamy told TNM that he suspected foul play.
According to his relatives and friends, Dhanush, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, had been in a relationship with a Muslim woman since their school days in Kulasekaram. Despite living in different cities for their higher education — Dhanush in Coimbatore and the girl in Kaliyakkavilai — the couple remained in constant touch and later reunited in Coimbatore when the girl enrolled in a postgraduate program.
Their relationship reportedly came under strain after her parents discovered it. Strongly opposing the intercaste, inter-religious relationship, the family allegedly withdrew her from college and arranged her engagement to another man. Dhanush attempted to stop the engagement by contacting the groom and revealing personal details of their relationship, which led to the engagement being called off.
Subsequently, Dhanush had visited the girl’s house with his parents to formally seek her hand in marriage, but the proposal was rejected. The family had also allegedly severed all communication between the couple by changing her phone number and deactivating her social media accounts.
On June 18, Dhanush reportedly travelled to Kulasekaram from Coimbatore. He was informed that the girl was not home. The next morning, he was found dead on the rooftop. Police said that there were markings on the compound wall and abrasions on Dhanush’s body, suggesting he had climbed over the wall to access the rooftop. The woman’s mother is said to have discovered the body and alerted other family members.
Police recovered his laptop and mobile phone, which contained photos and videos of the couple. His body was sent to the Government Medical College Hospital in Asaripallam for autopsy. Speaking to TNM, the police said that an initial case of suicide has been registered, and that further details can be ascertained only after receiving the postmortem report.
Meanwhile, Dhanush’s father Duraisamy, while speaking to TNM, alleged that they suspect that Dhanush was killed by her family and it is being twisted as a suicide. However, further investigation is underway by the police.
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.
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
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
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.