Bengaluru: A 19-year-old woman is battling for life at the intensive care unit (ICU) of M.S. Ramaiah Hospital after she attempted suicide by drinking acid used for cleaning toilets after her lover’s family members and relatives abused, humiliated and thrashed her in public.
The victim’s parents have lodged a complaint with Kothanur police. But the police are yet to take action against the accused. According to the victim’s mother, Lakshmi, the youth, who was in love with the woman, now says that he has not seen her before.
The incident happened on March 30. After Shruthi (name changed), a second year PU student, returned home from college, her neighbour inquired her about the boy with whom she was moving around. When Shruthi told that she was in love with Pramod, her neighbour, who is a relative of the boy, rushed to his house nearby and came back with his parents.
Pramod’s parents and relatives abused, humiliated and thrashed Shruthi in public accusing her of trapping Pramod as she hails from a lower caste. Pramod’s parents made him say that he is not in love with Shruthi, Lakshmi said. After the incident, a shattered Shruthi rushed to her house and drank acid used for cleaning toilets.
Lakshmi received a phone call from her bedridden husband Ramu, who had just undergone a thyroid surgery, that their daughter had consumed acid. Lakshmi, who works as a gardener at a college nearby, rushed home and took Shruthi to a hospital where she was admitted to the intensive care unit.
Shruthi is now being tube-fed as her throat and esophagus have been burnt. She also has difficulty in breathing. “It has been two months now. Only after her condition stabilises, she can undergo a plastic surgery,” Lakshmi said.
Shruthi’s condition remains the same. Her family members allege that they are being pressured by Kothanur police to withdraw the complaint. A senior police officer from Kothanur station told this newspaper that Shruthi had consumed acid after her parents scolded her for having an affair with Pramod. The youth in his statement to the police claimed that he did not know the victim at all, he said.
