Athulya Sekhar, a Kerala native, was found dead in Sharjah on her 30th birthday. Her husband Satheesh Shankar has been fired by his Dubai employer after disturbing abuse videos emerged. A murder case is registered.
Athulya Sekhar, a 30-year-old woman from Kerala, was found dead in her apartment in the Rolla area of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on July 19, her birthday and also the first day of her new job. Her sudden death has shocked both her family in India and the Indian community in the UAE.
Athulya was the mother of a 10-year-old daughter. Her death has raised serious questions, with allegations of domestic violence and dowry harassment pointing to her husband, Satheesh Shankar, as the prime accused.
Husband fired from Dubai job after videos surface
Satheesh Shankar, who worked as a site engineer at a private company in Dubai, has been terminated from his job. The company cited "circumstantial evidence" and "disturbing video clippings" that showed him physically and mentally abusing his wife.
Related Articles
“We took the action based on the media reports about a case registered against him in Kerala and circumstantial evidence of his violent and abusive behaviour in videos that appeared online,” the company manager told Gulf News.
In a termination letter shared with the media, the company clearly stated that Satheesh's actions, especially the abuse captured in videos and reported by Athulya’s relatives, led to his immediate dismissal. The letter called his behaviour a criminal offence under UAE law.
Complaint filed by Athulya's mother
Athulya's mother, Thulasibhai, filed a complaint with the Thekkumbhagam Police in Kollam, Kerala. Based on her statement, a murder case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
According to her complaint, Satheesh allegedly strangled Athulya, kicked her in the stomach, and hit her on the head with a plate between July 18 and 19, which may have led to her death.
Athulya had previously shared her concerns with her family and close friends, informing them over calls and messages that she was suffering physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband.
Evidence of long-term abuse
Athulya’s family has released several videos, WhatsApp messages, and voice notes that show visible signs of injury on her body and incidents where Satheesh is seen abusing her. One video shows Satheesh lifting a plastic stool to attack her.
According to the family, Athulya endured this abuse for years due to persistent dowry demands. They had given a bike and 43 sovereigns of gold at the time of marriage in 2014, but the harassment allegedly continued.
“We were shocked to see the videos that she had shared with her family, in which he is physically abusing and mentally harassing her,” her husband’s employer said.
Husband denies role, but admits violence
In a statement to the media from Dubai, Satheesh admitted to physically assaulting Athulya in the past but denied that he caused her death. He said he did not believe she would die by suicide and claimed the death might be a murder or accident.
He also revealed that his monthly salary was 9,500 dirhams and suggested he, too, wanted to find out what really happened.
Family seeks answers and legal help
Athulya's father believes her death is suspicious. "She had a close bond with her daughter. I don't believe she would take her life. Her death is mysterious. He used to get violent and drink a lot," he told reporters.
The family said that they had earlier filed a police complaint against Satheesh. Now, they are planning to approach the Indian Consulate in Dubai for help.
“We will be visiting the Sharjah Police for completing the formalities of filing the case tomorrow. We are also approaching the Indian Consulate in Dubai,” her brother-in-law told Gulf News.
Athulya's body is currently kept in the mortuary after Sharjah Police completed inquest procedures.
