Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe in a case related to the torture of a Chottanikkara native woman allegedly by her husband in Canada. The case registered at Chottanikkara police station in December 2020 was taken over by the CBI following an order from the Kerala High Court.
Sruthy Suresh, 32, married Sreekanth Menon, a native of Kodungallur, on September 7, 2018. The couple moved to Calgary in Canada after the marriage. As per the FIR, Sreekanth pledged 75.5 sovereigns of gold gifted by her parents during their marriage for the payment of his car insurance. Sreekanth is allegedly a drug addict. He had manhandled and sexually harassed Sruthy.
In the complaint, Sruthy claimed that the drugs were forcibly injected into her body on several occasions to compel her to get money from her parents. In August 2019, she was allegedly threatened and taken to a clinic using force and, consequently, she suffered a miscarriage.
Later, on their first wedding anniversary, they went to Mexico. There, her husband tried to kill her in a car accident. After failing in the attempt, his physical and sexual torture continued. He allegedly collected Rs 24.15 lakh from her parents which they arranged after pledging their house.
Sreekanth once forcibly put cleaning granules in her mouth which caused serious burns to her internal organs. While undergoing treatment at a hospital in Canada, the accused allegedly acquired the pledged ornaments without her permission using 12,000 Canadian dollars the government had paid her in compensation after she lost her job due to the Covid crisis. In December 2020, both returned to Kerala.
Sruthy was admitted to a private hospital and the couple never met again. She now takes food using a tube pipe due to the damage caused to her internal organs. Similarly, she cannot speak and she communicates with others by writing notes on paper. The hospital authorities informed the family that Sruthy cannot have food normally again and she has to be fed through tubes.
Since there was no progress in the police investigation, her father approached the Kerala High Court which ordered a CBI investigation. “The accused is still in Canada. We will initiate procedures to bring him back to Kerala. The investigation has started in the case,” a CBI official said.
As per the FIR, Sreekanth pledged 75.5 sovereigns of gold gifted by her parents during their marriage for the payment of his car insurance. Sreekanth is allegedly a drug addict. He had manhandled and sexually harassed Sruthy.