Thiruvananthapuram, 28 June (H.S.):Disturbing allegations of prolonged domestic abuse, financial exploitation and deception have surfaced in the suicide of a 26-year-old woman in Attukal, with the victim's family accusing her husband of driving her to take the extreme step.

The deceased, Aarathi, had been married to Athul Sreekumar for around one-and-a-half years. Her family alleged that she endured months of physical and mental abuse and that most of the 50 sovereigns of gold given to her at the time of marriage had been sold by her husband.

According to her relatives, Athul used the money raised from selling the jewellery to purchase vehicles, fund leisure trips and meet other personal expenses. They further alleged that when he attempted to pledge the remaining gold, Aarathi resisted, leading to repeated physical assaults.

The family also claimed that Athul deliberately isolated Aarathi from her parents and close relatives to prevent anyone from learning about the abuse she was facing. His brother, they said, frequently stayed with the couple at their rented house in Kanjippura.

Adding another dimension to the case, Aarathi's relatives alleged that Athul had been in a relationship with another woman before their marriage and that the two had even been engaged. They claimed he ended that relationship after Aarathi's marriage proposal came through, and alleged that the former fiancée later died by suicide. Police have not confirmed these allegations, and they remain part of the family's claims.

Police believe Aarathi had been subjected to sustained abuse over the past several months. On Friday, hours before her death, she reportedly sent WhatsApp messages to her mother, Jinu, along with photographs showing injuries to her hand and jaw, allegedly caused by her husband.

Investigators recovered a diary from the couple's residence. In what is believed to be a suicide note, Aarathi reportedly stated that she had decided to end her life because she could no longer bear the physical and emotional abuse inflicted by her husband. Police also found that all the remaining pages of the diary had been torn out, a development that has raised further suspicion and is now under investigation.

Athul has been arrested on charges including domestic violence and abetment of suicide. Police are continuing their investigation to verify the allegations made by Aarathi's family and determine the full circumstances that led to her death.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman