A case of dowry death under section 304B of the Indian Penal Code was registered by Kerala Police. (FILE)
The Kerala Women's Commission (KWC) on Tuesday sought a reply from the state police in connection with the death of a 27-year-old woman allegedly due to starvation at her husband's home.
Thushara, a native of Karunagapally, died in the hospital on March 21. She weighed 20 kg at the time of her death.
A case of dowry death under section 304B of the Indian Penal Code was registered in this regard by Kerala Police.
On March 29, the state police, on the basis of the post-mortem report and statements of her relatives, arrested her husband Chandu Lal and her mother-in-law Geetha Lal who were sent to 14 days custody.
Her two children were taken to a child protection home.
"We will investigate more angles such as black magic, as Thushara's relatives and neighbours have alleged that her mother-in-law performed black magic on her," police said.
Sushanth, Thushara's brother, said, "They (her in-laws) never cooperated with us in any matter. After her marriage, my sister used to call me frequently, but it stopped as her husband took away her phone two months into their marriage."
He alleged that they used to torture her.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) issued a letter yesterday to Director General of Police (DGP) Loknath Behera to take "strict" and "immediate action" in the case.
Quoting a media report, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said that a 27-year-old woman was starved to death for over two years by her husband and in-laws as her parents were unable to pay Rs 2 lakh dowry they had demanded.
The commission said that it was "seriously disturbed" by the reported inhumane treatment meted out to the woman.
"Considering the gravity of the matter, it is requested that the matter be investigated and appropriate action be taken as per the relevant provision of law," the letter said.