Kasaragod: A sessions court here sentenced a man and his mother to nine and seven years of rigorous imprisonment, respectively, for subjecting his wife, a former international beach Kabaddi player, to cruelty and driving her to take her own life.

Preethi K (27), a physical education teacher and Kabaddi player, was found dead, hanging from the baluster of the stairs in her parents' house at Munnad in Bedadka grama panchayat on August 18, 2017, leaving behind a two-year-old daughter.

On Wednesday, September 18, Kasaragod Additional Sessions Court - I judge A Manoj found her husband Rakesh Krishna (38) and his mother P Sreelatha of Kottamala in West Eleri panchayat guilty under Section 306 of the IPC (abetment of suicide) and Section 498 A of the IPC (subjecting a woman to cruelty by her husband and his relatives).

Rakesh was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for abetment of suicide, and two years for subjecting his wife to cruelty, said public prosecutor Lohithakshan Edayillam. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under the two sections.

Mother-in-law Sreelatha was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for abetment of suicide, and two years for subjecting Preethi to cruelty. She was also fined Rs 1 lakh each under the two sections. "If they do not pay the fine, they will have to serve another eight months of rigorous imprisonment," said Adv Edayillam.

Soon after the sentencing, the mother-son duo was arrested and sent to the Central Prison and Correctional Home in Kannur. The sentences will run concurrently and so Sreelatha will have to serve only five years and son Rakesh Krishnan, seven years in prison.

If the fine amount is realised from the convicts, it should be given to Preethi's daughter as compensation, ruled the court. The court also directed the Kasaragod District Legal Service Authority to fix adequate compensation for the daughter, who is nine years old now, said Adv Edayillam.

Husband Rakesh Krishnan and mother-in-law Sreelatha were accused No. 1 and No. 3 in the case. Rakesh Krishna's father T K Rameshan, who was accused No. 2 in the case, died during the trial, said the public prosecutor.

How Preethi was chased to her death
Preethi and Rakesh Krishnan got married on September 12, 2014. Before marriage, Preethi, an accomplished beach Kabaddi player who won gold for India, was in a relationship. She ended it when the man demanded dowry for the marriage, said investigating officers.

When Rakesh's family approached her family for an alliance, she told him about the previous relationship and why she ended it, the officers said.

Yet, at the time of their marriage, Preethi's parents M Thamban Nair and Anitha K gave her 280g of gold jewellery, said the prosecution. In today's market price, it would fetch nearly Rs 20 lakh.

Preethi then worked as a physical education teacher on a contract basis in a couple of government schools in Belloor and Muliyar grama panchayats.

Investigating officers and the prosecution said Rakesh claimed he was an interior designer at the time of the marriage but that was not the case.

After the wedding, Rakesh and his family started taunting her about her previous relationship and harassing her for dowry. Four months before her death, when the harassment became unbearable, she left her husband's house in West Eleri, and returned to her parents' house with their daughter.

But one day, when she was in school, Rakesh and his parents came to her parents' house and tried to take away the daughter. "She was traumatised by the incident and filed a case with Bedakam police," said the prosecutor. Sometime after that incident, Preethi ended her life.

Though a case of cruelty and abetment of suicide was registered by Bedakam police, the accused were never arrested as they procured anticipatory bail. "They will have to serve the full sentence now," said the prosecutor.