Kollam: The death of a 33-year-old woman from Kerala and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in their apartment in Sharjah, UAE, has sparked serious allegations of dowry harassment and domestic abuse from the family.

Vipanchika Maniyan, a native of Kottamkara in Kollam, and her infant daughter Vaibhavi Nidheesh were found dead on Tuesday night at their residence in Al Nahda. Vipanchika’s mother Shailaja has alleged that her daughter was murdered after killing the child.

In a heartbreaking statement, Shailaja said Vipanchika had never revealed the extent of the abuse she suffered. “If I had known, I would never have let this happen. My daughter silently endured so much,” she wept. "She had told me nothing. When I saw the photo, only then did I realise how much pain she had gone through."

Vipanchika's six-page suicide note, uploaded posthumously to Facebook using a timed setting, has brought the tragic story to light. In it, she names her sister-in-law as the first accused, husband Nidheesh as the second and father-in-law as the third. The letter paints a picture of relentless abuse, even during pregnancy.

“She strangled me with a belt when I was seven months pregnant… forced rotten shawarma into my mouth,” Vipanchika wrote. “I can no longer survive. I’ve tried. There is no love, only physical and mental torment. I’ve endured everything I could. I haven’t had enough of my baby’s smile.”

According to reports, the child was found strangled with one end of a rope, and Vipanchika was found hanging from the other. The family has alleged it is not a suicide, but a double murder.

An earlier voice message from Vipanchika had already hinted at dowry-related harassment. “They said the dowry we gave wasn’t enough. His father and sister tormented me constantly,” she said in the audio clip.

In another voice message, she lamented: “His father wants more money, a big car, a flat. My sister-in-law wants a bodyguard. Nidheesh never treated me as his wife or our baby as his child. He didn’t want to take us anywhere. He just wanted to live free, break things, leave and come back days later. Before our baby was born, only his family troubled me. After the baby, he joined in.”

Vipanchika had been working as a filing clerk at a private firm in Dubai for the past seven years. Her husband Nidheesh, a native of Nalchira, Kottayam, is also employed in Dubai. The couple had reportedly been living separately and had initiated legal proceedings for divorce.

Vipanchika’s cousin Saran confirmed that the couple were in the process of separation. Sharjah Police have launched an investigation into the deaths, and a post-mortem is being conducted at Al Qasimi Hospital. The family expects the bodies to arrive in Kerala on July 16. The funeral will be held at her maternal uncle’s home in Pootanimukku.

 

(Note: Suicide is not a solution. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help from a mental health professional or contact the 24x7 'DISHA' helpline. Toll-free: 1056 / 0471-2552056.)