Case of starving Thushara to death for not paying dowry dues; life imprisonment for husband and mother-in-law

KOLLAM: The accused in the case of starving and killing a woman named Thushara over dowry have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The husband Chandulal and the mother-in-law Geetha Lali have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Both have also been ordered to pay a fine of rupees one lakh each.

Thushara and Chandulal were married in 2013. The accused had made Thushara sign a contract that the remaining two lakhs of the dowry would be paid within three years. They tortured Thushara and her family physically and mentally since three months after the wedding, saying that the remaining dowry had not been paid. The accused did not allow Thushara to cooperate with her family or meet them. In the meantime, Thushara gave birth to two daughters. Even the children were not shown to Thushara's family.

An autorickshaw driver informed Thushara's father that Thushara had died on the night of March 21, 2019. Upon learning the information, Thushara's father, mother, brother and relatives, who reached the Kollam District Hospital at 1 am, found the body in an emaciated state. They then filed a complaint with the Pooyappally police. The brutality was brought to light during the investigation that followed.

Body weighing only 21 kilograms

The brutal murder was revealed during the postmortem. The body weighed only 21 kilograms. There was not even a trace of food in the stomach. The skin stuck to the bone and there was no meat. The ribs were seen and the stomach was close to the spine.

Beyond the scientific evidence, the statements of neighbours and the teacher of Thushara's three-and-a-half-year-old daughter were crucial in the case. When the child was enrolled in the nursery, the teacher who inquired about her mother's absence was informed that her mother was bedridden. Moreover, instead of the name Thushara, the mother's name was given as Geetha, who is the second accused.