Mother reaches UAE for repatriation of daughter, grandchild found dead in Sharjah flat

Sharjah/Kollam: Shylaja, mother of Vipanchika, who was found dead along with her one-year-old daughter in a flat at Al Nahda, has reached Sharjah. She arrived in UAE early Tuesday with a relative and is expected to formally request the repatriation of her daughter and granddaughter’s bodies to their hometown in Kerala.

Vipanchika’s brother, Vinod, is also due to arrive in Sharjah later tonight. The family is considering lodging a complaint against Vipanchika’s husband, Nitheesh, with the UAE authorities. They are also scheduled to meet officials at the Indian Consulate for assistance in the case.

FIR registered in Kerala against husband and family members

In Kerala, the police have registered a case against Nitheesh and his family based on a complaint filed by Shylaja. The charges include dowry harassment, domestic violence, and abetment of suicide. Those named in the FIR are Nitheesh (husband), his sister Neethu, his father, listed as the first, second, and third accused, respectively.

Background of the case

Vipanchika (33), an MBA graduate and HR Manager at a private firm in Sharjah, was found hanging along with her daughter Vaibhavi in their Al Qusais apartment last Tuesday. A native of Poovanthuruth, Panachikkad, Kottayam, she had married Nitheesh, also from Kottayam, in November 2020. The couple initially lived with his family in Sharjah.

According to a six-page suicide note left behind by Vipanchika, she was subjected to mental and physical abuse from the very beginning of the marriage. The abuse reportedly intensified during her pregnancy, eventually prompting her to move out with her daughter to a separate flat.

The situation deteriorated further after she issued a legal separation notice to her husband. Despite her repeated requests, her child’s passport and identity documents were withheld, making it impossible for her to return to India. In a diary entry found by her relatives, Vipanchika wrote that the emotional distress caused by the separation process and the inability to leave UAE with her child ultimately drove her to suicide.

The FIR filed at Kundara Police Station will be transferred to the District Police Chief. Due to the dowry harassment charges, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP)-rank officer will lead the investigation.

As the incident occurred abroad, the Kerala Police is likely to recommend that the case be handled by either the Crime Branch or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure a thorough probe.