CHENNAI: Unable to bear the continuing fight between her parents and the family of her 'husband', a 17-year-old girl student tried to kill herself by consuming a soft drink laced with rat poison on Friday. She and her cousin, who also consumed the leftover by mistake, are being treated at Tiruvarur government medical college hospital and are stated to be critical.
Police said a couple from Villupuram married off their 13-year-old younger daughter to a 25-year-old man of the same district in 2017. The girl was studying in Class VII in a government school then. However, within a few days of their marriage, she returned to her parents' home. Subsequently, the parents admitted her to a school in Nagapattinam district. Her cousin, a relative's daughter, was also admitted to the same school in 2017 and both are studying in class XII. They had arrived at Thirukaravasal in Tiruvarur district for holiday.
The girl's family had fallen out with her in-laws and there have been constant face-offs for some time. The girl's parents had lodged a police complaint against the groom and his parents sometime ago. The girl had been upset due to these issues. It was in this backdrop that she consumed rat poison-laced cool drinks on Friday. Unware that the drink was laced with poison, her cousin also drank the leftover. Relatives admitted the girls to the medical college hospital, police said. Tiruvarur all-woman police got a statement from the girls and are inquiring with the girl's parents, groom and his parents.
Anyone having suicidal thoughts can contact Tamil Nadu's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 for assistance .
