In a case that has spanned nearly a decade, two youths accused of abetting the suicide of 19-year-old engineering student Sumithra have been acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Sumithra, a first-year student at a private college in Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, was found dead in her hostel room on July 14, 2014. Her fiancé, M. Anandan, and close friend, K. Ilaiyaraaja, were charged with abetment to suicide, but the Chengalpattu Mahila Court recently ruled in their favuor, citing a lack of concrete proof, as per a report on Times of India.
The tragic incident unfolded after a heated argument between Anandan and Ilaiyaraaja near the college on the night of July 13, 2014. Witnesses reported that the altercation was so intense that bystanders had to intervene. Following the argument, both Anandan and Ilaiyaraaja allegedly made repeated phone calls to Sumithra from midnight until 6 a.m. The next morning, Sumithra was discovered dead in her room.
Sumithra’s relationship with the two accused was complex. She was engaged to Anandan, her classmate, and had rejected Ilaiyaraaja’s romantic advances. Despite this, she maintained a friendship with Ilaiyaraaja, which reportedly caused tension between the two men. The prosecution argued that the constant phone calls and emotional pressure from Anandan and Ilaiyaraaja had driven Sumithra to take her own life, reported Hindi websites.
However, the case faced significant challenges during the trial. Sumithra’s father testified that he was unaware of any specific reasons for his daughter’s suicide. Additionally, Sumithra’s friend Vaishali, who was considered a key witness, denied that Sumithra had ever mentioned being pressured by the accused. Crucially, the prosecution failed to produce the call detail records (CDRs) that could have substantiated claims of harassment via phone calls.
After nearly ten years of legal proceedings, the court concluded that the charges against Anandan and Ilaiyaraaja could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge emphasized the lack of direct evidence linking the accused to Sumithra’s suicide and acquitted both men.
