Tamil Nadu: Two men, accused of abetting to suicide of a girl, acquitted after 10 years

The accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence. (Representational image)

After a decade-long court battle, two men in Tamil Nadu were acquitted in a case of abetment to suicide of a first-year engineering student, they both claimed to be in love with, due to a lack of evidence.

M Anandhan and K Iyyaraja were accused of pressurizing E Sumithra over the phone before she took her own life in 2014, according to a Times of India report.

Sumithra, a student at a private college in Kattankulathur, was in a relationship with Anandhan, her classmate. With the family's approval, they had planned to get married after graduation.

However, it turned out to be a love triangle when Iyyaraja, Sumithra's neighbour and close friend, expressed his feelings for her, leading to tensions between the two men.
Despite refusing to marry Iyyaraja, Sumithra remained in touch with him as a friend, causing unease to Anandhan.

On July 13, 2014, the two men confronted each other near their college, leading to a heated argument. That night, both the men called Sumithra repeatedly, each demanding her to cut ties with the other. The calls continued till 6 am. The next morning, Sumithra was found dead in her bedroom.

The police then charged both Anandhan and Iyyaraja with abetment to suicide. However, the case fell apart during the trial.

Sumithra’s father, Ezhumalai, stated before the court that he did not know the reasons behind his daughter's death. Sumithra’s friend Vaishali, who was a key witness, also denied in court that Sumithra had ever mentioned being harassed by the two men.

The prosecution was unable to provide call detail records (CDRs) to confirm that the two men had contacted Sumithra before her death. Without this key evidence, the court could not establish the men’s involvement in her suicide.

On February 10, after nearly 10 years of legal proceedings, both Anandhan and Iyyaraja were acquitted of the charges due to the lack of evidence against them.