Oz suicide: Cops arrest woman's in-laws in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: KPHB Police on Friday arrested Narla Subramanyam and Narla Suguna, the in-laws of Hyderabad techie P. Ramya Krishna, who committed suicide in Australia, in May. It has been alleged she took the extreme step after being harassed for dowry. The arrests were made based on a complaint by Ramya’s father, P. Poornachander Rao. A case has also been registered. Police added that a Look Out Circular (LOC) will soon be issued to detain Ramya’s husband Narla Mahanth, who is believed to be in Australia.

Mahanth had left on a flight back to Australia immediately after handing over Ramya’s body to her parents at Hyderabad airport.  Legal experts said chances of the case going to court here were low as the death had not occurred in the city. But they did take into account the sequence of events and concurred that it could go to trial. ACP, Kukatpally, Bhujanga Rao said though the incident did not occur here, a case was registered considering the sequence of events and the demands for dowry from the time of marriage.

It’s believed Ramya’s parents had parted with Rs 40 lakh in cash and jewellery in dowry. They later registered a house at Nizampet in their daughter’s name and had also transferred Rs 25 lakh into her husband’s business in Australia. “But he started harassing her. He wanted her to register her father’s hotel at KPHB under her name, as additional dowry. We have booked them under Section 3 of IPC, which enables us to try any Indian citizen, who is accused in a case back home. We will also issue an LOC to nab Mahanth and will coordinate with Australian Police through the Indian embassy there,” the ACP said.

But experts here believe connecting directly with Australian Police — using the country’s strict domestic violence laws — will have a more immediate effect. P. Ramyakrishna married N. Mahanth (from Warangal) in 2013. She was a techie and ran a few pizza outlets. On May 17, she hanged herself at her home in Melbourne. Mahanth flew to India with his wife’s body but immediately flew back. His parents have been produced before court.