Dowry death
Kerala doctor commits suicide after boyfriend refuses to marry over BMW, gold demand
Thiruvananthapuram: A 26-year-old female doctor in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram committed suicide allegedly following her boyfriend's refusal to marry her due to her family's inability to meet dowry demands.
State Health Minister Veena George has started a probe into the death of Dr. Shahana a postgraduate student in the surgery department at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram.
The police have filed a case against the boyfriend under charges of abetment to suicide and violations of dowry prevention laws and arrested him, media reported.
Dr Shahana, who is survived by her mother and two siblings, had lost her father, a Gulf worker, two years before.
She and her boyfriend Dr EA Ruwais were planning to tie the knot.
Dr. Shahana's family claims that Dr. Ruwais' family demanded 150 gold sovereigns, 15 acres of land, and a BMW car as dowry.
Unable to fulfill these demands, Dr. Shahana's family conveyed their inability, resulting in the cancellation of the wedding, reported Mathrubhumi.
The distress caused by the called-off wedding deeply affected the young doctor, leading to her alleged suicide, media reported citing local residents.
A suicide note discovered at her residence conveyed her sentiment, stating, "Everyone wants money only."
The Health Minister has directed the State Women and Child Development Department to provide a report regarding the accusations of dowry demand.
The State Minority Commission is actively investigating the matter.
The Commission's Chairperson AA Rasheed, has summoned the district collector, the city police commissioner, and the director of medical education to present a report on December 14.
In a related development, the Chairperson of the State Women's Commission, P Sathidevi, visited Dr. Shahana's residence to meet with the family.
Sathidevi emphasised the necessity for decisive measures if the alleged mental distress arising from dowry demands played a role in the young doctor's decision to take her own life.
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