CHENNAI: One girl, two suitors. But the unspoken battle for her loyalty simmered beneath the surface until it boiled over and the 19-year-old engineering student in Tamil Nadu’s Kattankulathur town ended her life on July 14, 2014.
The tragedy sent the two men accused of abetting her suicide into a decade-long legal battle, only to be acquitted for lack of evidence this February 10. E Sumithra, a first-year student at a private college, was found dead in her bedroom by her parents. Her death followed a heated confrontation between her fiance M Anandhan and her close friend K Ilayaraaja.
Statement of suicide victim’s father weakens prosecution argument
Victim Sumithra’s fiance M Anandhan and her close friend K Ilayaraaja had expressed romantic interest in her.
Sumithra was engaged to Anandhan, a classmate and relative, with family approval. However, Ilayaraaja, a neighbour and long-time friend, also proposed marriage. Though she declined his proposal, she remained in touch with him, leading to tensions between the two men.
On the night of July 13, Anandhan and Ilayaraaja had a heated argument near the college, requiring bystanders to intervene. That night, both called Sumithra repeatedly, allegedly pressuring her to sever ties with the other. The calls allegedly continued from midnight until 6am. The next morning, she was found dead.
Police conducted an inquiry and filed an abetment case against Anandhan and Ilayaraaja, then aged 23 and 24. However, when the case went to trial at Chengalpet Mahila Court, Judge M Ezhilarasi found serious gaps in the prosecution’s claims.
In his complaint, Sumithra’s father Ezhumalai said: “I do not know why my daughter took her life.” His statement weakened the prosecution’s argument that harassment drove her to suicide.
Sumithra’s close friend Vaishali, a key prosecution witness, denied in court that she had expressed distress about being pressured by the two men. The prosecution also failed to produce crucial call detail records (CDR) to verify the claim that both men had pressured Sumithra over the phone that night. Without this evidence, the court ruled that the allegations remained unproven.
After a trial spanning nearly 10 years, the court acquitted both Anandhan and Ilayaraaja, citing lack of credible evidence, call records or witnesses supporting the abetment charge. Yet, beyond the walls of justice, in the stillness of a home that once echoed with a daughter’s laughter, one question lingered unanswered: What truly happened that night?
