14 hours ago
Kerala woman dies by suicide after male friend subjected to 'mob trial'; PFI-linked workers arrested
A woman in Kerala's Kannur district died by suicide after she was allegedly publicly humiliated by a group of men, news agency PTI reported, citing the police on Thursday.
The woman, in her 40s, was found dead at her home on Tuesday. The police have arrested three workers of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political offshoot of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), in connection with the case.
According to the police, the woman was deeply disturbed after a group of men confronted her in public and allegedly subjected her male friend to a "mob trial" on Sunday evening.
The group allegedly questioned the woman and her friend near a mosque. They also assaulted the man and detained him for several hours. They also took away his mobile phone and tablet and summoned his family members to an SDPI office before releasing.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the woman was one of the relatives of one of the arrested people.
'She happened to be a relative of one of the arrested people. The gang questioned the woman and her friend, summoned the woman's family and insulted her,' the newspaper quoted Pinarayi Station House Officer Inspector Bavish V S as saying.
Earlier this month, a man in Kerala's Malappuram was arrested for allegedly torturing his 25-year-old wife and abetting her suicide. The woman was found dead at her home last week.
The couple tied the knot in an arranged marriage in May 2023. The husband, working as a male nurse, allegedly insulted his wife on a daily basis and would tell her that she was not beautiful. Her family alleged that he would humiliate her for not getting a job and also beat her up.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).
