Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan urges women to say 'NO' to dowry after death of doctor

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday (Dec 7) said that girls or women should have the courage to say 'no' to those who ask for dowry. He was reacting to the incident of suicide of  Shahna (28), an MBBS degree holder and a postgraduate student in the surgery department at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.

Also read: Kerala doctor death case: Police take friend Dr Ruwais into custody

The Chief Minister said, " The whole society needs reformation. Society also has a responsibility to act against the dowry system. The law should also become stronger and the government is working on it." 

Shahna was discovered unconscious in her flat on Tuesday (Dec 5) at approximately 11:30 p.m. She was hurried to the Medical College Hospital by the police officers. Upon arriving at the hospital, though, they declared her dead.

According to the reports, the woman committed suicide as her family was unable to meet the demands of the dowry due to financial difficulties. This is when the new development occurs.

Following this, the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Police took Dr EA Ruwais into custody on Thursday morning and recorded his arrest later in the day. A case was booked against him for abetment of suicide and under the dowry prohibition act. 

Shahna and her friend Ruwais were engaged, but their marriage was put on hold by demands for extravagant dowries. Her family was unable to match the groom's family's demands, which reportedly included 150 sovereigns of gold, 15 acres of property, and a BMW car. The police nabbed Ruwais from Karunagappally as he went into hiding after Shahna's death. Earlier, the police searched for Ruwais at his hostel and a relative's home; however, they could not find him. A case was registered against Ruwais under the non-bailable sections. 

Shahna wrote in her suicide note that her inability to pay the dowry was the reason she took such a drastic action. Shahna was devastated when the dowry demands caused the marriage to be cancelled, which made her take a drastic step. 

• Dr Shahna's death
• CM Pinarayi Vijayan