'I'm sorry Appa, had enough'; Newlywed bride Ridhanya's death shocks Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: A newlywed bride was found dead inside her car in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. Ridhanya (27) was found dead in Mondipalayam on Sunday morning. Dowry harassment is alleged to have pushed Ridhanya to this drastic decision. The police arrested her husband and in-laws in the incident.

Ridhanya and Kavin Kumar got married in April this year. Ridhanya, daughter of garment company owner Annadurai, had her wedding done in opulence. A dowry of 100 sovereigns of gold, along with a Volvo car worth Rs 70 lakh, was gifted to the groom’s family. Kavin is the grandson of Krishnan, a Congress leader in Tiruppur.

Ridhanya took the car out of her house on Sunday, under the pretext of visiting a temple in Mondipalayam. Police were alarmed after locals spotted the car parked in the area for a long time. During the inspection, the woman in the driver's seat was found to be dead. It is assumed that she consumed poison after parking the car.

Meanwhile, Ridhanya's voice messages to her father before she committed suicide surfaced on Monday.

Ridhanya’s voice message:

“Everyone is telling me to get along somehow, but I’m tired of life. I’m being made to look like a fool. They are abusing me every day. I’m sorry, Appa. I can’t go forward any longer.”

Ridhanya reportedly faced a lot of mental and physical abuse during her month-long stay in her husband's house. Kavin had started fighting with Ridhanya even during the first weeks after marriage. Ridhanya returned to her own home after failing to cope with Kavin’s sexual abuse and his parents’ mental torture.

Ridhanya's family spent around 2.5 crores on the lavish wedding attended by people from different sections of society. After marriage, Ridhanya faced untouchability in the house of her in-laws as she was not allowed to touch lamps meant for a divine purpose. If for any such mistakes, the family would force her to stand one hour straight as punishment. They even cursed her often as they opined that the dowry received was meagre.