

COIMBATORE: A newly-married woman committed suicide at her husband's house in Coimbatore, after allegedly being reprimanded by her husband for spending time on social media.

Aparna alias Asha, 19, daughter of Varadhan from Thathamangalam in Palakkad was found hanging in the house of her husband Saravanakumar, a truck driver from Kavundampalayam in the city on Monday evening. Even as neighbours and relatives were gathering at their house after news of Aparna's death, Saravanakumar attempted to jump from the terrace of their house in an attempt to commit suicide but was rescued by relatives. Saravanakumar was visibly shaken by the death of Aparna, police said. "She was upset that Saravanakumar snatched away her smart phone since she was spending too much time on WhatsApp and Facebook," a police officer said.

Police said that the couple were married four months ago. "It was an arranged marriage. But within a week after marriage, Aparna allegedly started talking to her friends over phone constantly. She later asked Saravanakumar to buy her a smart phone but he refused," police said.

However, Aparna asked her elder brother for a smart phone who got her one. "She was constantly on WhatsApp and Facebook, according to Saravanakumar.

She refused to drop that habit and it led to frequent quarrels between the couple. On Monday, Saravanakumar allegedly snatched away the smart phone and gave her an ordinary phone with which one cannot access social media sites," police said.

In the afternoon, after Saravanakumar left the house, Aparna had called her brother and complained about her plight to him. He consoled her and told that he would visit their house in the evening and sort out the problem. "But around 4 pm, she hung herself using her dupatta in the ceiling of her house," police said.

Saravanakumar who returned home by 4.30 and found it locked from inside. With the help of neighbours he broke open the front door and found her hanging.

Saravanakumar had few days back complained about the behavior of Aparna to his father-in-law stating that she was occupied with the phone till midnight.

For now police have not registered a case against Saravanakumar of instigating his wife to commit suicide since her family has not preferred a complaint. The body would be sent for post-mortem on Wednesday.