Woman panchayat member found dead in Kerala, suicide suspected

A 48-year-old woman panchayat member was found dead on Tuesday in Aryanad in the district, police said.

Sreeja S, a local Congress worker and member of Kottakkakam ward in the Aryanad village panchayat, was found dead in a shed adjacent to her home here in the morning.

According to police, it is suspected that her death was caused by the consumption of an acidic substance.

Though she was rushed to a nearby hospital, she was declared brought dead.

''Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. Investigation is going on. As per her husband's statement, she had some financial issues,'' a police officer said.

Meanwhile, the Congress local leaders alleged that the CPI(M)'s campaign targeting her over financial issues was the reason for her extreme step.

They also staged a protest in the panchayat over the incident.

Later in the day, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that a public meeting organised by the ruling CPI(M) to insult Sreeja over financial issues had led to her suicide.

While talking to reporters in Kozhikode, he said the woman ward member was humiliated publically during the meeting organised under the aegis of Marxist party's area secretary.

Why is the CPI(M) witch-hunting poor women like this, he asked and accused the Left party of ''degenerating into a group'' that holds public meetings to humiliate those with financial obligations.

He alleged that the police were reluctant to record the statement of Sreeja's husband and daughter in this regard.

''The CPI(M) has become a party that witch-hunts women. Those responsible for Sreeja's death should be charged with abetment to suicide and a case should be filed against them. The records of the public meeting should also be examined,'' Satheesan added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)