Ex-govt officer convicted for wife’s suicide over dowry

KIRAN KUMAR WAS ARRESTED ON JUNE 22, 2021, A DAY AFTER VISMAYA NAIR WAS FOUND DEAD AT THEIR KERALA RESIDENCE

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A court in Kerala’s Kollam on Monday held the husband of 23-yearold Ayurveda medical student Vismaya Nair guilty of harassing her for dowry and pushing her to die by suicide. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Tuesday.

The husband, Kiran Kumar, was arrested on June 22, 2021, a day after Vismaya, a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student, was found dead at their residence. He was the lone accused in the case while his parents were exonerated. The couple got married on May 30, 2020 and Kumar used to work as an assistant motor vehicles inspector. He was dismissed from service after his arrest. Kumar was later granted bail by the Supreme Court in March after spending eight months in jail.

During Monday’s hearing, he was convicted under three sections — 304 B (dowry death), 498 (A) (cruelty towards woman for dowry) and 306 (abetment to suicide) — of the Indian Penal Code. The court also cancelled his bail.

Vismaya’s family said their daughter was harassed over the car they gifted her at the time of her wedding. They added Kumar told her he was entitled to a luxury car and the one gifted was only worth ₹10 lakh. He also complained frequently about the low mileage of the vehicle.

The family also said they gifted Vismaya over 100 sovereigns of gold, one-acre land, among other things. “No other daughter should go through such a fate...,” said Vismaya’s mother Sajitha.

Her father, Thrivikraman Nair said: “I wish it should be the last such case. Say a firm no to those who demand dowry.”

Public prosecutor G Mohanraj said they relied heavily on digital evidence to build up the case against Kumar. The main evidence was the phone call Vismaya made to her father a day before she was found dead in which she was heard crying and complaining about harassment. She also sent some photos which carried marks of wounds and torture.

“The government took strong action against the accused and dismissed him from service even before the verdict. We have zero tolerance towards such evils. Government servants should be role models and should not flaunt their job for dowry,” said state transport minister Antony Raju.