New Delhi: The Supreme Court temporarily halted the sentence imposed by a trial court on Kiran Kumar, an Motor Vehicle Department officer  for the dowry-related death of his wife, Vismaya, reported the ‘Bar & Bench’. Vismaya was found hanging at husband Kiran Kumar’s house on June 21, 2021. Police investigation had proved that Kiran along with his family members had mentally and physically tortured Vismaya for months together following which she had to take the extreme step.

In May 2022, the Kollam additional sessions court had found Kumar guilty under Section 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code, among other Sections, and sentenced him to undergo 10 years imprisonment.

Kumar subsequently moved the Kerala High Court challenging his conviction and sentence. While his appeal is still pending before the High Court, his application for suspending the sentence was dismissed by it in December, 2022.

Vismaya, a 24-year-old Ayurveda Medical student, was found hanging from the window of a bathroom in Kumar’s house on June 21, 2021.

Kumar was booked for charges under Sections 498A (subjecting a woman to cruelty for dowry), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

Only a few days prior to her death, Vismaya had sent pictures of bruises and wounds on her body to her relatives through WhatsApp claiming that she was being harassed by her husband for dowry. Screenshots of the WhatsApp chat and voice notes sent by her were shared by her family after she was found dead.

She had allegedly suffered the injuries due to the physical abuse meted out to her by Kumar and his family due to dissatisfaction over the “gifts” given to them for their wedding.