Tamil Nadu: Mother-in-law of Malayali teacher who committed suicide also takes her life in Nagercoil

The mother-in-law of a Malayali teacher, Sruthi, a native of Piravanthur in Kollam, who committed suicide in Nagercoil, also took her own life on October 28. Sruthi had ended her life the previous week, reportedly due to harassment from Chembakavalli.

Nagercoil: The mother-in-law of a Malayali teacher who took her own life in Nagercoil also died by suicide on Monday (Oct 28). Sruthi, a resident of Piravanthur in Kollam, ended her life last week, reportedly due to harassment from her mother-in-law, Chembakavalli, who followed suit shortly after. In her final message, Sruthi cited the mistreatment she endured from Chembakavalli as the reason for her actions.

Sruthi, who passed away, was the daughter of Babu, an engineer in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Department, and she worked as an assistant professor at a private college. She married Karthik, a resident of Nagercoil, last April. Sruthi's family had given Karthik Rs 10 lakhs and 50 sovereigns as part of the wedding arrangements. However, Chembakavalli, her mother-in-law, continuously argued with Sruthi, claiming that her dowry was insufficient. 

Following Chembakavalli's insistence that Sruthi return to her parental home, Sruthi sent a voice message to her mother before taking her life. In her message, she also accused Karthik of remaining silent in the face of her mother-in-law's harsh words.

Despite Sruthi frequently complaining about Chembakavalli's abusive remarks, her family advised her to reconcile with her husband. They claimed they were unaware of the severe harassment Sruthi was enduring. Following Sruthi's death, the incident gained media attention, which prompted Chembakavalli to attempt suicide.