Kerala doctor dies by suicide after groom calls off wedding over dowry

A 26-year-old doctor died by suicide in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram after her boyfriend reportedly refused to marry her as the family failed to fulfil their dowry demands.

The woman was identified as Shahana, a PG student in the surgery department of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. On Tuesday morning, December 5, Shahana was found dead at her apartment.

After her death, Shahana's relatives claimed that she died by suicide because her boyfriend called off their wedding as her family was unable to fulfil the excessive dowry demands of the groom's family. Medical College police registered a case of unnatural death and have started a probe into the case. The police have recorded statements of the deceased doctor's relatives.

According to a news agency PTI report, a purported suicide note was recovered from the apartment in which the victim stated that "everybody wants money only"—reportedly hinting towards the dowry demanded by her boyfriend’s family.

Shahana's boyfriend’s family allegedly demanded a massive dowry in different forms, including gold, land, and a BMW car, and when Shahana’s family was unable to fulfil these unfair and illegal demands, her boyfriend, also a representative of the Medical PG Doctors Association, decided to end their relationship and called off the wedding.

Shahana's father died recently; he used to work in the Middle East.

In addition, on Wednesday, December 6, Kerala Health Minister Veena George ordered the Women and Child Development Department to conduct a probe into this matter and submit a report.

In the meantime, on Wednesday, the Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson, P Sathidevi, also visited Shahana's mother at her house. Sathidevi demanded a profound and comprehensive probe into the incident. She added that the women's commission would seek a report on the action taken by the police into the matter.

Sathidevi said that if it is proved that the accused doctor's family actually demanded dowry from the victim, a case should be lodged against them under the Prevention of Dowry Act. The state Minority Commission has also registered a case into the matter based on media reports.

The Medical PG Doctors Association has also relieved the accused boyfriend of all his responsibilities within their organisation, keeping the charges against him in account.