Ahmedabad: A Hindu woman in the city allegedly ended her life after finding out that the man she had been living with for the past two years was already married. The victim also allegedly faced repeated harassment and assault, police said. Following a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, Vatva police arrested the accused, Mohammad Abid Mohammadyamin Sheikh, and registered a case of abetment to suicide.

According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Vatva, was in a live-in relationship with Sheikh, who resides near Saiyedwadi in the same area. The mother stated that her daughter had left home two years ago to live with him. “We tried several times to bring her back and told her we would arrange her marriage at a good place, but she insisted that she was living with Mohammad Abid and would marry him,” the mother told police.

The family said the woman used to return home occasionally during festivals. During Uttarayan, she allegedly revealed that Sheikh was already married and had refused to marry her. The mother further alleged that Sheikh frequently assaulted her daughter. “She told us that he used to beat her,” the complaint stated.

On January 22, the complainant received a call from her other daughter informing her that the victim had died by suicide at her rented house. The family alleged that the woman first injured herself with a blade and later hanged herself. Blade marks were found on her hands, and blood was reportedly seen near her eyes, according to the complaint. Holding Sheikh responsible for her daughter’s death, the mother lodged a case of abetment to suicide at the Vatva police station.

Police said the accused, who is the father of three children, has been arrested. Preliminary investigation revealed that frequent quarrels took place between the couple and that Sheikh allegedly assaulted the woman on several occasions. Investigators are also examining whether she was assaulted on the day she ended her life.

Zone-6 DCP Bhagirath Gadhvi said, “Immediate action was taken after the woman’s body was found in a room in the Vatva police station area. FSL teams and experts were called, and the body was sent for postmortem. Further investigation revealed that the woman lived alone and was in a relationship with Mohammad Abid Mohammadyamin Sheikh, a resident of Juhapura. The two had been in a relationship for the past two years, and frequent fights were reported. Statements of nearby residents have also been recorded.”

Police added that both the accused and the victim’s mother worked as tailors, which led to their acquaintance. Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused subjected the victim to any other form of harassment. DeshGujarat