Dalit Woman Harassed By Moneylenders, Committed Suicide In Tamil Nadu

Moneylenders allegedly insulted her with casteist slurs when she was all alone!

In Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur, a woman killed herself after she was verbally harassed and threatened by a moneylender and his mother. Both have been arrested by the police.

On Monday night, May 23, Parimala committed suicide by hanging at her house in Rayampalayam near Avinashi, reported TOI. Woman worked as a contract labourer with the Avinashi town panchayat.

A police officer said that her husband, Chandran, had borrowed Rs. 27,000 from Dhanasekaran, who was residing in the same locality. “He initially paid back Rs. 10,000 and promised to pay the rest soon. However, Dhanasekaran kept pestering him for the rest of the money,” said the officer.

“On Monday night, Dhanasekaran and his mother Poovathammal went to Parimala’s house knowing that she would be alone. They insulted her with casteist slurs for not repaying their money. They also threatened her with dire consequences if the money was not paid back soon,” added the police officer.

Deeply hurt and insulted, Parimala committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her room a few minutes later after they left, said the officer.

“Neighbours who came to her house found her hanging and informed her husband. Her children, a 12-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, were playing far away from home when the incident happened,” said Avinashi Police.

On Tuesday, Police inspector R Geetha said they arrested Dhanasekaran and his mother on Wednesday. They were arrested based on the neighbours' statements, who had witnessed the mother and son harassing the woman badly. They were arrested under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

According to another police officer, Parimala didn’t even leave a suicide note. Meanwhile, The Times of India reported that Parimala’s relatives refused to receive her dead body.