Kerala Woman Found Dead in UAE; Husband Admits to Assault Amid Dowry Abuse Allegations.
A Kerala woman, Athulya Shekhar, who was found dead in Sharjah last week, was reportedly subjected to physical abuse by her husband, Satheesh Sankar, who has admitted to assaulting her, claiming he did so “out of love.”
Athulya, a native of Kollam, had been living in the UAE for the past year and was scheduled to begin a new job on the morning she was found dead. Her husband Satheesh, also based in the UAE, told media that he had beaten her “when drunk,” but insisted it “didn’t happen every day.”
In a troubling justification, he said, “I won’t say I didn’t beat her. I did it when I was drunk… but she also used to hit me out of anger and love.”
Athulya’s family, however, has alleged a pattern of sustained physical and emotional abuse, accusing Satheesh of domestic violence and dowry-related harassment. Based on a complaint from Athulya’s mother, a murder case has been registered in Kollam under Section 304B of the IPC and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The family claims that Athulya was subjected to torture, and that she may have been strangled, kicked in the stomach, and struck on the head with a plate, leading to her death between July 18 and 19. According to the FIR, Athulya was given a two-wheeler and gold as dowry during the couple’s marriage twelve years ago. They have a daughter.
Following the allegations, Satheesh, who worked as a site engineer in Dubai, has been terminated from his job by his employer. The case has drawn renewed attention to dowry-related violence and the plight of Indian women abroad facing abuse in silence.
In a similar case reported earlier this month, another woman from Kollam, Vipanchika Mani (33), reportedly died by suicide in Sharjah after killing her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Vybhavi, in what authorities believe was a result of sustained torture over dowry demands. Her body was found on July 8 in their Al Nahda apartment.
Optional Revised Headline Suggestions:
Kerala Woman Found Dead in UAE; Husband Admits to Assault Amid Dowry Case
‘I Did Beat Her’: Husband Confesses as Kerala Woman’s Death Triggers Murder Probe
Sharjah Death of Kerala Woman Sparks Dowry Murder Case, Husband Admits to Abuse
Domestic Abuse Allegations Emerge After Kerala Woman Found Dead in UAE
Dowry and Violence: Kerala Woman’s Death Abroad Raises Red Flags Once Again
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