Dowry death: Shocking details of brutality by Shymol's husband emerge from autopsy report

As police submitted the chargesheet in the case of the death of Shymol Xavier, the 24-year-old Athirampuzha native who was tortured for dowry at her husband’s residence, shocking details of brutality have emerged. Shymol’s home at Kattupara in Athirampuzha of Kottayam district is now seeped in sorrow of a mother who lost her daughter 85 days ago in shocking circumstances.

Love affair and marriage
Shymol’s father passed away in a car accident when his children were too young. After that, her mother Sheela had to take up a job in a private firm to look after Shymol, Shan and Shine.

Shymol met Anil Varkey, an auto and lorry driver, while she was a degree student. Their relationship grew into a stage in which a marriage proposal was mooted to Shymol’s family.

This met with stiff resistance, as Varkey already had four cases against him on various counts, including ganja trafficking. But Shymol left her home to marry Varkey and her family was under the impression that she was having a happy life at her husband’s residence.

Torture for four years
For four years, she was subjected to inhumane torture, but Shymol silently accepted it without even informing her estranged family members. But two days before her death, Shymol reached her home without Varkey's knowledge to narrate the ordeal she was undergoing at his home. She showed them burn injuries and other wounds sustained from bodily torture, all for dowry.

Shymol refused to go to her husband’s place following which her mother and relatives went to Varkey’s house to speak about the torture inflicted on her. Varkey and her in-laws managed to somehow pacify her and assured them that they would treat her well from then on.

Shymol’s family was never able to contact her at her husband’s residence due to obvious reasons. Shymol had earlier called her mother from her mother-in-laws phone ensuring no one else saw it. She later went to work in a private firm but Varkey forced her to quit that too, thereby cutting her contact with the rest of the world.

Shymol had communicated details of the brutal misery she underwent at her husband’s home to her sister-in-law who lived in UK. The messages included details of physical abuse by her alcoholic husband and the wayward behaviour of her father-in-law. The sister-in-law informed Shymol's mother about this.

Sudden death and schocking autopsy report
Shymol was taken to hospital reportedly after a heart attack, but seeing the torture marks throughout her body, hospital authorities alerted the police. Eight hours later, when her mother arrived at the hospital, Shymol had bid adieu to a life of torture.

Her mother spotted blood seeping from behind Shymol’s ears. The FIR revealed more grim tales of brutality.

The cause of death was a massive blow to her sternum, which resulted in profuse bleeding.

In her stomach, half a litre of dark-red blood had collected due to the inhuman treatment. She also sustained neck injuries probably due to her attempt to hang herself. Burn and other injury marks were found on her thighs and hands.

It is difficult to break the sternum of a human in normal circumstances. There was either some heavy rod used or it could have been due to a heavy blow with legs. The blood that accumulated in her stomach was due to the massive wound in her large intestine.

It is near impossible for such a deeply wounded person to hang herself. Shymol had spoken to her mother on that fateful day at 6.45 am and she sounded normal. She was also spotted going inside the home at 7 am with milk, the milkman said. She had spoken to him too.

Anil and his father were arrested but are now out on bail. Shymol’s two-and-a-half year old kid is in the custody of Kottayam Child Welfare Committee. Kottayam DySP Anish Kumar said charges have been filed invoking sections of the anti-dowry act and domestic abuse, including 306 and 498 A.