Indian expat Athulya’s death in UAE on birthday: Sharjah forensic report reveals cause

Sharjah: The death of Athulya Sekhar, an Indian expat woman who was found dead on her 30th birthday and the first day of a new job in Sharjah, has been confirmed to be suicide by hanging, according to the forensic report issued by Sharjah authorities.

Athulya, who hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala, was found dead in her apartment in the Rolla area early on July 19.

The news of the untimely passing of the mother of a 10-year-old girl had shocked the Indian community in the UAE and back home, especially in the wake of allegations of domestic violence by her husband, who reportedly first found her body.

Speaking to Gulf News on Monday, family members and community sources confirmed that the forensic report issued by Sharjah Public Prosecution clarified the cause of death as suicide by hanging.

"We have received the letter from the Public Prosecution which states that the cause was suicide by hanging as per the forensic report," her brother-in-law living in Sharjah said.

He was speaking from the premises of a Sharjah court, accompanied by representatives of the Indian Association Sharjah (IAS), who have been supporting the family with the legal procedures.

The family is now arranging the repatriation of Athulya’s mortal remains to Kerala, where a case against her husband will be pursued.

Athulya’s husband Satheesh Sivasankara Pillai was terminated from his job as a site engineer in a Dubai-based building contracting company after her parents filed a complaint against him in Kerala and the family released videos of him physically abusing and mentally harassing Athulya.

“We took the action based on the media reports about a case registered against him in Kerala and circumstantial evidence of his violent and abusive behaviour in videos that appeared online,” a senior HR manager of the company had told Gulf News.

As reported by Gulf News earlier, Athulya’s parents had filed a complaint against Satheesh accusing him of various charges.

According to The New Indian Express, he has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These include Section 85 (abetment of suicide of a woman), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon), Section 118(1) (wrongful restraint or confinement) Section 103(1) (cruelty by husband or his relatives).

He also faces charges under Section 3 and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, which penalise both the giving/taking of dowry and its unlawful demand, the report said.

However, Satheesh had earlier told reporters from Malayalam media outlets in Sharjah that he had not been at home when the incident occurred. He also alleged that Athulya had been increasingly distant in recent months, adding that she had started sleeping separately and had even undergone an abortion back home in November last year without his consent. His claims were rebutted by Athulya’s family.

Her brother-in-law said the family will pursue the case against Satheesh back home. “Kerala police officials have been in touch with us. We will follow the procedures to go ahead with their investigation after we reach home,” he added.

Though Athulya and her daughter held UAE residence visas, only Athulya had relocated to Sharjah to live with Satheesh, while the couple's daughter continued to live with Athulya's parents back home, according to the brother-in-law.

Around 10 days prior to Athulya's death, another woman from Kerala had ended her life by hanging herself after suffocating her 16-month-old daughter to death at their apartment in Al Nahda in Sharjah.

The family of the 32-year-old woman also had filed a complaint in Kerala, accusing her husband and his family members of long-standing domestic violence.

In the wake of these cases, IAS has announced a new platform aimed at resolving family disputes. The 'Family Dispute Redressal Session', scheduled to take place weekly on Saturdays at the IAS premises, will be launched on August 2, the association’s president Nissar Thalangara had told Gulf News.