Police yet to trace accused in journalist death case

Hameed Ashraf | NT Bengaluru

Eighty days have passed since the alleged suicide of the Bengalurubased Keralite journalist Shruthi Narayan, but the accused, Anish Koroth, her husband, still remains at large. Shruthi, 37, who was working with the international news agency Reuters, was found hanging at her flat in Nallurhalli Mayfair near Whitefield on March 24 by her brother, Nishanth, who alerted the jurisdictional police about the incident.

Later the police investigation revealed that she might have died two days prior. The police suspect that the accused might be in hiding to evade the arrest. A team of police personnel had been deployed to Kerala to track him.

In April, an action council was formed in Shruthi’s hometown in Kasaragod with the support of writers, politicians and activists, seeking justice for her. The meeting to form the committee was attended by around 500 people from different walks of life.

Lawmakers from Uduma Assembly constituency, C H Kunhambu, and Kasaragod Assembly constituency, N A Nellikkunnu, are part of the council’s advisory panel. The action council had submitted a memorandum to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, urging him to request his Karnataka counterpart Basavaraj Bommai to unearth the mystery behind her death. The action council is planning to submit pleas to Karnataka chief minister and Home Minister Arga Jnanendra soon.

The city police had recovered three suicide notes beleieved to have been written by her before committing suicide. She alleged her husband had been harassing her and said she was happy to escape a ‘torturous life’ with Anish.

In one of the notes, she wrote: “I am going to end my life and two people would be the happiest. You and I. I am happy because I am escaping this torturous life and you will be happy because you will not have me in your life.” Shruthi’s brother Nishanth filed a complaint with the Whitefield police against Anish for abetting her suicide and the police booked him under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 498A (cruelty by husband or relative) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Shruthi was the daughter of a former teacher and an environmental activist Narayanan Periya and former teacher Satyabhama.

She married Anish, a native of Taliparamba of Kannur district, Kerala, in 2017. There were allegations that Anish had been physically harassing and abusing Shruthi whenever he was drunk. It is also said that Anish used to monitor her movements, allegedly by installing hidden cameras in the house.

The two also reportedly fought over the fact that Shruthi sent some money to her parents every month from her salary. Two bail pleas filed by Anish’s lawyers - one with a local court and the other with Karnataka High Court - had also been rejected in May.