The puzzling death of Business Standard journalist Nirupama Pathak at her home in Jharkhand, first reported to be a suicide, is now believed to be a case of honour killing that was triggered by opposition from her family to the inter-caste love affair and pregnancy before marriage.
Pathak’s parents and two brothers were on Monday taken into custody for interrogation after the autopsy report contradicted all the reasons for her death they had cited before the police since she died on April 29.
Pathak, 23, was killed in the morning, according to the autopsy report, but her family informed the police in the evening. Her parents first said she was electrocuted and then insisted that she committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her bedroom.
The autopsy report said Pathak’s death was caused by “asphyxia as a result of smothering”.
The suicide theory parroted by Pathak’s family after they produced a suicide note has come into dispute because it was written both in Hindi and English and because it was believed to have been written hours after her death, police sources said.
Pathak, who was 12-weeks pregnant, is a Brahmin by caste and angered her family when she declared her love for her former collegemate and fellow journalist, Mr Priyabhanshu Ranjan, who is Kayastha by caste.
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Youth kills self after pushing girl to death
A jilted youth pushed an 18-year-old girl to death from the fourth floor of Life Style mall in Begumpet here and later committed suicide by jumping from it on Sunday morning, police said.
Twenty-year-old D. Vinod, a resident of Jagadgirigutta, asked the girl to come to the mall where she was working as a salesgirl in a cosmetics parlour to discuss an “important issue.”
They met at the parking space in the cellar and went to the fourth floor.
Multiple fractures
A few minutes later, the housekeeping staff heard some sound and found both Vinod and the girl on the ground with multiple fractures. Vinod died on the spot, while the girl succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital at Jubilee Hills, according to the police. Vinod was working as a sales executive in a private bank.
A suicide note purportedly written by Vinod in Hindi and mentioning his affair with the victim for the past three years was also recovered from him.
“She started distancing herself from me over the last three months and asked me to marry another girl. Recently, I came to know that she had developed friendship with another person. Then I decided to teach her a lesson,” the suicide note said, according to Punjagutta Inspector M. Malla Reddy.
Request to parents
Vinod requested his parents — Ravi and Anuradha — to forgive him for taking such a drastic step and urged his two sisters to take care of the parents.
“I want to be your son even in the next birth,” he told his parents in the note.
Vinod and the girl became friends when they were staying at Punjagutta. Later, the girl's family, originally from Nepal, shifted to Rehamathnagar and the boy's family, hailing from Bidar, shifted to Jagadgirigutta but they continued to meet.
The grief-stricken mother of the youth told journalists at the Gandhi Hospital mortuary that her son did not appear to be interested in marrying her even when she broached the topic.
“He left the house around 6.30 a.m. wearing new clothes saying that he had a meeting in the office and within three hours we came to know about the incident,” she said, sobbing.
She pointed out that the Punjagutta police had even counselled the duo when the girl's sister lodged a complaint five months ago. However, one of the girl's sisters feigned ignorance about the affair.
Twenty-year-old D. Vinod, a resident of Jagadgirigutta, asked the girl to come to the mall where she was working as a salesgirl in a cosmetics parlour to discuss an “important issue.”
They met at the parking space in the cellar and went to the fourth floor.
Multiple fractures
A few minutes later, the housekeeping staff heard some sound and found both Vinod and the girl on the ground with multiple fractures. Vinod died on the spot, while the girl succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital at Jubilee Hills, according to the police. Vinod was working as a sales executive in a private bank.
A suicide note purportedly written by Vinod in Hindi and mentioning his affair with the victim for the past three years was also recovered from him.
“She started distancing herself from me over the last three months and asked me to marry another girl. Recently, I came to know that she had developed friendship with another person. Then I decided to teach her a lesson,” the suicide note said, according to Punjagutta Inspector M. Malla Reddy.
Request to parents
Vinod requested his parents — Ravi and Anuradha — to forgive him for taking such a drastic step and urged his two sisters to take care of the parents.
“I want to be your son even in the next birth,” he told his parents in the note.
Vinod and the girl became friends when they were staying at Punjagutta. Later, the girl's family, originally from Nepal, shifted to Rehamathnagar and the boy's family, hailing from Bidar, shifted to Jagadgirigutta but they continued to meet.
The grief-stricken mother of the youth told journalists at the Gandhi Hospital mortuary that her son did not appear to be interested in marrying her even when she broached the topic.
“He left the house around 6.30 a.m. wearing new clothes saying that he had a meeting in the office and within three hours we came to know about the incident,” she said, sobbing.
She pointed out that the Punjagutta police had even counselled the duo when the girl's sister lodged a complaint five months ago. However, one of the girl's sisters feigned ignorance about the affair.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Woman trapped in borewell at Jaipur
A 52-year-old woman allegedly jumped into a 300-feet borewell in a temple and is trapped.
Usha Jain had gone to a temple in Vaishali Nagar locality on Thursday but did not return. “After some time, her husband came searching for her and inquired about her whereabouts. When he reached the temple, he found her slippers were there near the borewell,” police said.
CCTV footage has not shown any movement in the woman’s body. A rescue team from Bikaner is helping in the rescue efforts.
“Prima facie it is a suicide case since it was a covered borewell with four feet boundary wall, so one cannot slip into the borewell accidentally,” police said.
“Digging work is not possible to rescue the woman as the temple is located in a populated area, so we are left with no option but to pull her out through a rope,” they said.
“If the body is not pulled out, the borewell will be covered forever for which her community members have given the nod,” SP, Jaipur South, Jose Mohan said.
Usha Jain had gone to a temple in Vaishali Nagar locality on Thursday but did not return. “After some time, her husband came searching for her and inquired about her whereabouts. When he reached the temple, he found her slippers were there near the borewell,” police said.
CCTV footage has not shown any movement in the woman’s body. A rescue team from Bikaner is helping in the rescue efforts.
“Prima facie it is a suicide case since it was a covered borewell with four feet boundary wall, so one cannot slip into the borewell accidentally,” police said.
“Digging work is not possible to rescue the woman as the temple is located in a populated area, so we are left with no option but to pull her out through a rope,” they said.
“If the body is not pulled out, the borewell will be covered forever for which her community members have given the nod,” SP, Jaipur South, Jose Mohan said.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Student's "suicide" leads to tension
Tension escalated at the Osmania University and surrounding areas on Tuesday, after an engineering student hanged himself in his hostel room demanding the formation of a separate Telangana State.
A student of College of Technology on Osmania University campus ended his life on Tuesday rekindling pro-Telangana passions on the campus on Tuesday. Tension gripped the Gandhi hospital where autopsy was to be held, when the police caned students who tried to take out the body in a procession to the university.
Twenty-year-old Meegada Sai Kumar, in a suicide note purportedly written by him, stated that he was sacrificing his life for Telangana. “Without reposing the trust in politicians, the youth should achieve Telangana. Take out my funeral procession up to the Assembly,” the note said.
A second year student of Chemical Engineering branch, Kumar is from Kapugal village in Kodad mandal of Nalgonda. He told his roommate in the morning that he would not attend classes since he was going home for the Ugadi festival.
Doors of his room no. 108 were bolted from inside when his classmates returned. “We forcibly opened the doors and saw him hanging from the ceiling,” Amarender, his roommate, told reporters.
They rushed him to the Gandhi hospital believing he was still alive. But the doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. As the news spread, emotionally charged students began to assemble in large numbers at his hostel and Arts College. Anticipating trouble, police rushed additional forces, including contingents of para-military units, to the campus sealing the Tarnaka and NCC gate entry points.
They did not allow students to come out of the campus, but the latter managed to reach the hospital through other routes. Tension escalated as students did not allow shifting of the body to the morgue for post-mortem.
The students argued that they should be allowed to take the body to Gun Park in Secunderabad and then to the campus. Even as police officers were holding discussions with some student leaders, a group attempted to take the body to the main road. Police had to use force to disperse them.
A student of College of Technology on Osmania University campus ended his life on Tuesday rekindling pro-Telangana passions on the campus on Tuesday. Tension gripped the Gandhi hospital where autopsy was to be held, when the police caned students who tried to take out the body in a procession to the university.
Twenty-year-old Meegada Sai Kumar, in a suicide note purportedly written by him, stated that he was sacrificing his life for Telangana. “Without reposing the trust in politicians, the youth should achieve Telangana. Take out my funeral procession up to the Assembly,” the note said.
A second year student of Chemical Engineering branch, Kumar is from Kapugal village in Kodad mandal of Nalgonda. He told his roommate in the morning that he would not attend classes since he was going home for the Ugadi festival.
Doors of his room no. 108 were bolted from inside when his classmates returned. “We forcibly opened the doors and saw him hanging from the ceiling,” Amarender, his roommate, told reporters.
They rushed him to the Gandhi hospital believing he was still alive. But the doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. As the news spread, emotionally charged students began to assemble in large numbers at his hostel and Arts College. Anticipating trouble, police rushed additional forces, including contingents of para-military units, to the campus sealing the Tarnaka and NCC gate entry points.
They did not allow students to come out of the campus, but the latter managed to reach the hospital through other routes. Tension escalated as students did not allow shifting of the body to the morgue for post-mortem.
The students argued that they should be allowed to take the body to Gun Park in Secunderabad and then to the campus. Even as police officers were holding discussions with some student leaders, a group attempted to take the body to the main road. Police had to use force to disperse them.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tension escalates in Hyderabad as student ends life for Telangana
Tension escalated at the Osmania University and surrounding areas on Tuesday, after an engineering student hanged himself in his hostel room demanding the formation of a separate Telangana State.
Police said Saikumar Meegada, a second year student of Chemical Engineering and a boarder of the Technology hostel was found hanging by his room mate Amarendar. Saikumar was rushed to Gandhi Hospital, but was declared dead.
As news of the suicide spread, hundreds of students rushed to Gandhi Hospital and were arguing with the police insisting that they would take his body to the Osmania Campus.
Anticipating outbreak of violence, additional forces were being rushed to Osmania University campus and Gandhi Hospital.
Saikumar, who hails from Kapugal village in the neighbouring Nalgonda district is the son of a farmer and earns his pocket money by giving home tuitions. On Tuesday, he told his roommate that he would go home for Ugadi.
Amarendar, the room mate who returned to the hostel in the morning, found that the room was locked from inside and broke it open to find him hanging. Other hostellers who lowered him found him breathing and rushed him to Hospital.
In a suicide note purportedly written by him, Saikumar maintained that he was sacrificing his life for the cause of four crore people of Telangana. He maintained that the youth should take lead for the cause of Telangana rather than leaving it in the hands of politicians.
Situation on the University campus had returned to near normal for the last one week, with the students taking the examinations.
Police said Saikumar Meegada, a second year student of Chemical Engineering and a boarder of the Technology hostel was found hanging by his room mate Amarendar. Saikumar was rushed to Gandhi Hospital, but was declared dead.
As news of the suicide spread, hundreds of students rushed to Gandhi Hospital and were arguing with the police insisting that they would take his body to the Osmania Campus.
Anticipating outbreak of violence, additional forces were being rushed to Osmania University campus and Gandhi Hospital.
Saikumar, who hails from Kapugal village in the neighbouring Nalgonda district is the son of a farmer and earns his pocket money by giving home tuitions. On Tuesday, he told his roommate that he would go home for Ugadi.
Amarendar, the room mate who returned to the hostel in the morning, found that the room was locked from inside and broke it open to find him hanging. Other hostellers who lowered him found him breathing and rushed him to Hospital.
In a suicide note purportedly written by him, Saikumar maintained that he was sacrificing his life for the cause of four crore people of Telangana. He maintained that the youth should take lead for the cause of Telangana rather than leaving it in the hands of politicians.
Situation on the University campus had returned to near normal for the last one week, with the students taking the examinations.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Two girls end life over T
Two girls, who had attempted suicide recently and were undergoing treatment at MGM Hospital here, succumbed to their burns on Thursday morning.
They are Mohd Savera, 20, of Papiyapeta village in Chennaraopeta mandal, and Soujanya, 14, of Cheriyal mandal.
According to sources, both the girls attempted suicide in two separate incidents. While Savera, a degree drop-out student, tried to take her life by dousing with kerosene on February 20, Soujanya, a a Class IX student, attempted suicide on March 1.
In their dying declarations at MGM Hospital, sources said, both the girls reportedly told the executive magistrate that they had attempted suicide for the Telangana cause.
Meanwhile, as news of the death of Savera spread, a large number of students staged a rasta roko for hours in Chennaraopeta. TRS leaders consoled her family members.
They are Mohd Savera, 20, of Papiyapeta village in Chennaraopeta mandal, and Soujanya, 14, of Cheriyal mandal.
According to sources, both the girls attempted suicide in two separate incidents. While Savera, a degree drop-out student, tried to take her life by dousing with kerosene on February 20, Soujanya, a a Class IX student, attempted suicide on March 1.
In their dying declarations at MGM Hospital, sources said, both the girls reportedly told the executive magistrate that they had attempted suicide for the Telangana cause.
Meanwhile, as news of the death of Savera spread, a large number of students staged a rasta roko for hours in Chennaraopeta. TRS leaders consoled her family members.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Chided by mom, girl ends life
Chided by her mother for skipping school, a class IX student committed suicide by hanging herself at her residence here on Saturday. The girl took the extreme step after her mother, a domestic hand, went to work.
Y. Durga, 15, of Afzalsagar, was studying at the Government Girls High School, Nampally. The Habeebnagar SI, Mr V. Venkateshwar, said on Saturday morning Durga’s mother, Samudram, scolded her for skipping school, before going to work. “Durga’s 11-year-old bro-ther Nani found her hanging at around 10 am and alerted the neighbours,” the SI said. Police registered a case under Section 174 CrPC (suspicious death).
Y. Durga, 15, of Afzalsagar, was studying at the Government Girls High School, Nampally. The Habeebnagar SI, Mr V. Venkateshwar, said on Saturday morning Durga’s mother, Samudram, scolded her for skipping school, before going to work. “Durga’s 11-year-old bro-ther Nani found her hanging at around 10 am and alerted the neighbours,” the SI said. Police registered a case under Section 174 CrPC (suspicious death).
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Assembly asks Telangana activists not to resort to suicides
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday appealed to students and other Telangana agitators not to resort to extreme steps like suicide as their lives were very valuable.
Making an appeal on the floor of the Assembly, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said students had a lot of future ahead of them and “your lives are very valuable.”
“Suicides are not desirable. There is nothing one achieves by ending life. I earnestly appeal to students and youths not to resort to suicides,” the Chief Minister said.
His appeal came after the Assembly was adjourned three times this morning following an uproar by the Telangana TDP MLAs on the issue of police lathicharge on pro-Telangana students in the Osmania University campus.
He welcomed the statement of Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee that henceforth there would be no suicides, bandhs and violence by students.
“It gives us a lot of relief,” Mr. Rosaiah remarked.
The Chief Minister said the government has been repeatedly instructing the police personnel to observe utmost restraint.
“Sometimes, however, the police say they are acting in self-defence. But still I once again direct them to be restrained,” he said.
Making an appeal on the floor of the Assembly, Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said students had a lot of future ahead of them and “your lives are very valuable.”
“Suicides are not desirable. There is nothing one achieves by ending life. I earnestly appeal to students and youths not to resort to suicides,” the Chief Minister said.
His appeal came after the Assembly was adjourned three times this morning following an uproar by the Telangana TDP MLAs on the issue of police lathicharge on pro-Telangana students in the Osmania University campus.
He welcomed the statement of Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee that henceforth there would be no suicides, bandhs and violence by students.
“It gives us a lot of relief,” Mr. Rosaiah remarked.
The Chief Minister said the government has been repeatedly instructing the police personnel to observe utmost restraint.
“Sometimes, however, the police say they are acting in self-defence. But still I once again direct them to be restrained,” he said.
W.R. Varada Rajan cremated
The body of CPI(M) leader W.R. Varada Rajan (WRV) was taken out in procession before it was cremated at the Kannamapet crematorium on Tuesday.
Senior party leaders, trade union leaders, leaders of various political parties and scores of CPI(M) cadre paid their homage to WRV at the party headquarters, where his body was kept.
Earlier in the day, party leaders received the body from the Government Royapettah Hospital and took it to WRV’s residence in Anna Nagar.
State secretary of the party G. Ramakrishnan said the wish of WRV — that his body should be donated for medical research — could not be fulfilled as it was not in a good condition.
“Twelve days have elapsed since it was fished out from the lake,” he said, explaining that the body would be cremated as per the wish of his family members.
Former State secretary N. Varadarajan said the party would learn lessons from the death of WRV.
“His death has come as a setback when the party imposed discipline in his last days,” Mr. Varadarajan told reporters at the party office.
Later, addressing a funeral meeting at the crematorium, Mr. Varadarajan said the party accorded various positions to WRV, in recognition of his talent and contribution, and he also lived up to the expectations.
Recalling his association with WRV, senior party leader N. Sankaraiah said strengthening the party in Tamil Nadu on a par with the party organisation in Left-ruling States alone would be a great tribute to the late leader.
Polit Bureau member K. Varadarajan said enemies who waited for an occasion to settle scores with the party used the death of WRV to achieve their goal.
CITU general secretary and WRV’s associate in trade union movement A. Soundararajan said when unions held talks with managements represented by highly qualified persons, WRV effectively argued the views of the workers.
Senior party leaders, trade union leaders, leaders of various political parties and scores of CPI(M) cadre paid their homage to WRV at the party headquarters, where his body was kept.
Earlier in the day, party leaders received the body from the Government Royapettah Hospital and took it to WRV’s residence in Anna Nagar.
State secretary of the party G. Ramakrishnan said the wish of WRV — that his body should be donated for medical research — could not be fulfilled as it was not in a good condition.
“Twelve days have elapsed since it was fished out from the lake,” he said, explaining that the body would be cremated as per the wish of his family members.
Former State secretary N. Varadarajan said the party would learn lessons from the death of WRV.
“His death has come as a setback when the party imposed discipline in his last days,” Mr. Varadarajan told reporters at the party office.
Later, addressing a funeral meeting at the crematorium, Mr. Varadarajan said the party accorded various positions to WRV, in recognition of his talent and contribution, and he also lived up to the expectations.
Recalling his association with WRV, senior party leader N. Sankaraiah said strengthening the party in Tamil Nadu on a par with the party organisation in Left-ruling States alone would be a great tribute to the late leader.
Polit Bureau member K. Varadarajan said enemies who waited for an occasion to settle scores with the party used the death of WRV to achieve their goal.
CITU general secretary and WRV’s associate in trade union movement A. Soundararajan said when unions held talks with managements represented by highly qualified persons, WRV effectively argued the views of the workers.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wipro employee involved in fraud, commits suicide?
A Wipro employee allegedly involved in an embezzlement case has committed suicide, company sources said on Monday.
“The employee committed suicide within 10 days of the incident coming to light,” a Wipro source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
There was, however, no official word from either the police or the company on how he died.
The Bangalore-headquartered, New York Stock Exchange-listed IT major had said in a statement on February 17 that it was looking into an embezzlement by one of its employees but reports in a section of the press put the figure in the region of $four million.
The Wipro source said on Monday the extent of embezzlement is estimated to be around Rs. 32 crore. Wipro had hired investigative and legal agencies in the wake of the fraud.
“The employee committed suicide within 10 days of the incident coming to light,” a Wipro source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
There was, however, no official word from either the police or the company on how he died.
The Bangalore-headquartered, New York Stock Exchange-listed IT major had said in a statement on February 17 that it was looking into an embezzlement by one of its employees but reports in a section of the press put the figure in the region of $four million.
The Wipro source said on Monday the extent of embezzlement is estimated to be around Rs. 32 crore. Wipro had hired investigative and legal agencies in the wake of the fraud.
