Kerala police probe confirms Dalit girl committed suicide

ALAPPUZHA: The suicide of dalit girl Sonuja V. Soman,   post-graduate English literature student of Bishop Moore College, Mavelikkara, two months ago was due to the mental depression caused by the break-up of her affair with a boy,  according to the local police who  investigated the case. The girl, whose  father had died while she was a child,  was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the house of her uncle at Arunoottimangalam near Mavelikara on the evening of October 30. She died in the Medical College Hospital, Vandanam here, the next day.  She was living with her uncle,   K.K. Viswambaran,  retired block development officer (BDO), Mavelikara, since her mother, nursing superintendent of government hospital, Mavelikara, had remarried and was living with him separately.   

On the day of the incident, the girl was alone in the house  as other family members had gone to  an ashram in Pathanamthitta  and  she was doing an assignment.   Mr  E. Ajeeb, the investigation officer, said that they did not find reason to slap the charge of abetment to suicide against the boy. Their affair had broken up when she was in Plus-Two, but he used to harass her by stopping her on the way, it is alleged.

However, the boy claimed that he had kept good relationship with her till her death. The last phone call received by her was also from his phone. ‘The  post-mortem report  had ruled out any foul play,” Mr Ajeeb said.    No complaint was filed over her suicide by her mother and other relatives.    Mr Viswambaran  said that  it was unbelievable that  she took the extreme step due to the failure of the love affair long ago.  They were  planning to  approach the police for a detailed probe, he said.