Free will: Foul play suspected in newly-wed’s ‘suicide’

In-laws suspect parents killed her .

FAISALABAD:

A woman’s in-laws, who visited her parents’ house on Sunday, were shocked to be informed that she had committed suicide two weeks ago.

Khurarianwala police said Irshad Bibi, a resident of Bismillah Colony, had married Muhammad Yousuf of Saifabad, five months ago. They said her parents did not approve of the marriage.

They said two weeks ago, her parents went to her house and a reconciliation was agreed. They took her with them promising to arrange her wedding ceremony.

Her in-laws, who suspect that she had been killed by her family for “honour”, said they went to meet her after there was no news from her parents’ side despite lapse of two weeks.

They said her parents told them that she had committed suicide and had been buried in the Lakhoana graveyard.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Muhammad Khan, the woman’s father-in-law, said that he doubted that she had killed herself. He said she had been very happy following her marriage and there was no apparent reason for her to commit suicide.



He said he suspected her parents of killing the woman and burying the body without informing them (in-laws) since they would have demanded that the post-mortem examination.

Khan also blamed the police for not pursuing the matter.

Ghulam Husain, an uncle of the woman, denied the allegations. He said since her return, Irshad Bibi had been pressing her parents to arrange the wedding as soon as possible.

He said her parents told her that it would take some time as they were arranging the money. This had led to several arguments between them. He said her parents did not want to send her back without a ceremony.

He said her parents had been taunting her over bringing “disgrace to the family” by eloping with a man. He said they had told her to wait this time. He said she had been in low spirits.

He said her parents had planned to contact her in-laws after the money was arranged and that was why they had remained silent over the matter.

He said a few days ago, she was found hanging from a ceiling fan.

Khurrianwala Station House Officer Usman Warraich said that the police had not received a formal complaint.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.