'Sangeetha's mother-in-law used to say that first child born in their family was born to a low-caste woman, they treated her with disgust'; Sangeetha's family members lash out at her husband's family

KOCHI: Family members of a Scheduled Caste woman who was found hanging at her residence in Kochi have raised allegations against the woman's husband and his family. Sangeetha (25), wife of Thrissur native Sumesh, was found hanging at her rented house near the High Court in Kochi on June 1. According to Sangeetha's family members, she committed suicide after facing caste hatred and dowry harassment from her husband's family members.

"Both Sumesh and Sangeetha got married after a brief relationship. However, Sumesh's family had some issues with the marriage as he belonged to a high caste and she belonged to a lower caste. We had nothing to give as dowry. When she went to her husband's house after marriage, the groom's mother and sister-in-law treated her with disgust. They did not even allow her to sit on a chair as she belonged to a lower caste. They started torturing her in the name of dowry from the second week of marriage. Sangeetha faced a lot of cruelty when she was pregnant and when her baby died. He did not even allow bringing the baby's body home. Sumesh's mother used to express her dissatisfaction by saying that the first child born in their family was born to a low-caste woman," Sangeetha's relative said.