Kerala: Supreme Court grants bail to Kiran Kumar in Vismaya dowry death case

In the Vismaya case, the accused Kiran Kumar has been granted bail. The Supreme Court accepted the plea to freeze the sentence.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Kiran Kumar, the accused in the 2021 Vismaya dowry death case, after accepting his plea to suspend his sentence. The apex court has frozen the 10-year sentence issued by the trial court until the Kerala High Court delivers its verdict on his appeal.

Advocate Deepak Prakash represented Kiran Kumar in the Supreme Court.

Kiran Kumar had earlier approached the Kerala High Court challenging the trial court’s conviction, which sentenced him to a decade in prison. As the High Court had not yet ruled on the appeal, Kumar filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a stay on his sentence.

In his plea, Kumar claimed that there was no direct evidence linking him to his wife Vismaya’s suicide and argued that the conviction was unjustified.

Vismaya’s death and allegations of dowry harassment

The case dates back to June 2021, when 22-year-old Vismaya was found hanging at her husband’s house in Kollam, Kerala. Her death sparked outrage across the country and led to an investigation based on allegations of dowry harassment.

According to Vismaya’s family, she had been subjected to continuous abuse by Kiran Kumar after marriage. They had provided 100 sovereigns of gold, 1.25 acres of land, and a car worth ₹10 lakh as dowry. However, they claim that soon after the wedding, Kiran began expressing dissatisfaction, particularly with the car.

Evidence and reports of abuse

A leaked phone conversation revealed Kiran complaining about the car not meeting his expectations, stating he would have preferred a Honda City model. The family alleges that this dissatisfaction escalated into physical abuse. Kiran reportedly assaulted both Vismaya and her brother Vijith over the dowry car issue.

Initially, Vismaya concealed the abuse from her family. However, overwhelmed by the situation, she eventually confided in them. In one emotional audio recording, Vismaya can be heard saying that if she were left at Kiran’s house again, she "would not be seen again."

Vismaya had returned to her family home at one point due to the severity of the abuse. However, Kiran allegedly picked her up from college shortly before she was found dead at his residence.