Sasthamkotta: The police are investigating the possibility of murder in the case pertaining to the death of 24-year-old BAMS student, Vismaya V Nair, at her husband’s house at Sooranad in Kollam.
Though preliminary conclusion in the post-mortem report stated death by hanging, circumstantial evidence have cast doubts from the beginning.
South zone IG Harshita Attaluri, who is in charge of supervising the investigation, had carried out a detailed inspection of the bedroom and adjoining bathroom as she arrived at the house on Wednesday.
Her husband Kiran Kumar and his parents had claimed that she was found dead in the bathroom.
Vismaya, daughter of Nilamel natives Trivikraman Nair and Sajitha V Nair, died around 3.30am on June 21 at her husband's house. Her husband S Kiran Kumar, 30, an assistant motor vehicle inspector, was arrested and slapped with dowry death charges among others.
Kiran's statement
In his statement to the police Kiran claimed that Vismaya had hung herself from the bathroom ventilation using the bathing towel.
"I lifted her, who was hanging from the ventilation, on my own, untied her and gave first-aid," Kiran stated.
The police have not taken Kiran's statements at face value.
As per the statements of Kiran's parents, they rushed to the room on hearing screams and saw Kiran providing first-aid to Vismaya.
It is also under investigation as to whether Kiran destroyed Vismaya's mobile phone to eliminate evidence.
The remarks made by Kiran's parents against Vismaya's family are also being viewed seriously the police. Even after Vismaya's death, Kiran's relatives had said that the promised gold was not given and that Kiran was not given the car he had asked for.
The police surgeon, who conducted the post-mortem at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, would be brought to Kiran's house to carry out an inspection.
Police to seek Kiran's custody
Meanwhile, the police will seek Kiran's custody for more questioning and evidence gathering. But the police will file the plea for custody only after confirming certain suspicions regarding the death.
Kiran has been remanded at the Kottarakara sub-jail.
Account and locker frozen
Kiran's bank account and the locker in which Vismaya's gold were kept have been frozen. The car and gold, given as dowry, would also be produced in court as mainour. The three mobile phones of Kiran and Vismaya have been handed over to the forensic experts.
Visitors stream in
Women's Commission chairperson M C Josephine, and members M S Thara and Shiji Sivaji visited Vismaya's house at Nilamel on Thursday and took statements. The Commission had taken a case suo motu over the incident.
Minister V Sivankutty, Minister Dr R Bindu, N K Premachandran MP, and Janadhipathya Mahila Association national president P K Sreemathi also visited Vismaya's house on Thursday.
Dowry-harassment charges to be added
The Women’s Commission has directed the police to add dowry-harassment charges to the two cases, pertaining to the deaths of two young women - Vismaya at Sooranad in Kollam and Archana at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram.
The police have been directed to add Sections 3 and 6 of the Dowry Prohibition Act (Amendment) and IPC 406.
The Women's Commission visited both their houses and collected details. The Commission also visited the house of Suchitra who died at Vallikkunnam in Alappuzha. Suchitra's family has told the Commission that they have some suspicions about the death.
