Karwar woman suicide case: Family alleges role of JD(S) leader’s son, police inaction
Karwar (Karnataka): The suicide case of a young woman in Karwar district has taken a twist, with the victim’s family on Wednesday alleging the involvement of a JD(S) woman leader’s son and police inaction.
The family of the deceased has written letters to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara, but claim that no action has been initiated against the accused so far.
Rishale D’Souza died by suicide on January 9 in Kadra village of Karwar taluk. Christoda Francis D’Souza, the victim’s mother and the complainant in the case, has alleged that the son of a JD(S) leader had sexually assaulted and tortured her daughter. A complaint in this regard was lodged at the Kadra police station on January 10.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Christoda D’Souza said, “We have received information that the accused brutally tortured Rishala. Bite marks were found on her body during the post-mortem.” She demanded that the investigation be conducted properly.
“My daughter should get justice. We strongly suspect that the accused took her somewhere and tortured her brutally for two days before she died by suicide,” she said.
While publicly naming the accused, D’Souza said he was directly responsible for her daughter’s death. “They were friends,” she said, adding that when Rishala attempted suicide, they took her to the hospital, where the accused’s supporters were already present.
“They threatened my son not to file a case. We strongly suspect the accused’s role, and he is absconding. This is the fifth day since Rishala’s death, and no action has been taken so far,” she added.
The FIR states, “The accused was known to the complainant’s daughter, Rishale. He used to call her over the phone and talk to her, and would frequently loiter around the complainant’s house. By expressing his love, he would harass the complainant’s daughter. When the complainant’s daughter rejected the accused’s advances, the accused allegedly told her, ‘There is no use in your living. You should somehow die. It would be better if you died rather than lived’, as the complainant’s daughter later informed the complainant.”
It further states, “Due to the accused’s same malicious instigation, the complainant’s daughter, Rishale, allegedly died by suicide on January 9 between 2.30 p.m. and 2.45 p.m. by hanging herself with a saree from the ceiling fan in the bedroom of the house where she was residing, as stated in the complaint.”
The police have registered a case under BNS Section 108 (abetment of suicide) against the accused person.