Shahana's family said this devastated the doctor
An Indian doctor committed suicide after the groom cancelled their wedding because she could not meet his family’s dowry demands.
Police had registered a case of unnatural death of Shahana, a postgraduate medical student at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College in Kerala.
During the investigation, officers registered a case against Dr EA Ruwais, a state committee member of the Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA).
He was charged with abetment to suicide and various sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Health Minister Veena George had ordered a probe into the suicide after her family alleged that her death was the result of dowry-related issues.
The minister requested the director of the Women and Child Development Department to conduct a probe and submit a report.
Twenty-six-year-old Shahana was found dead in her apartment in the early hours of December 5, 2023.
It was reported that Ruwais and Shahana had been friends and their marriage to each other had been arranged.
But Dr Ruwais’ family later demanded 150 sovereigns of gold, 15 acres of land and a BMW as dowry.
Shahana’s family could not meet the demands straight away but hoped to compromise on 50 sovereigns of gold, property worth Rs. 50 Lakh (£47,000) and a car.
Dr Ruwais’ family did not agree and cancelled the marriage.
Shahana’s family said this devastated the doctor and she became depressed.
Shahana was scheduled to be on the night shift at the medical college’s ICU but did not turn up.
A colleague tried to call her but she did not respond.
When co-workers reached her apartment, they found the door was locked from the inside. They informed the police, who broke down the door and found Shahana unconscious.
She was rushed to hospital but was already dead by the time she arrived.
According to police, she injected a lethal dose of an anaesthetic.
Police recovered a suicide note that read:
“Everybody wants money only. Money is bigger than anything.”
Dr Ruwais has since been arrested and remains in custody while the investigation goes on.
Analysis of his phone revealed he had deleted messages from Shahana.
An investigating officer said:
“The messages which Dr Ruwais had sent to his friend Shahana were all found to have been deleted in an apparent evidence-tampering attempt when we examined his phone after seizing it.”
According to police, Dr Ruwais was planning to flee Kerala after it was evident he would be named the prime suspect.
In addition to his arrest, he has been dismissed from the Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association.