AIDS victim’s wife kills self

April 26, 2004

AIDS victim's wife kills self

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2004 12:37:59 AM ]

AHMEDABAD: She may have fought the trauma of having lost her husband

to the dreaded AIDS within a year of her marriage.

But, it was the constant mental harassment meted out to her by her

colleagues in a central government organisation that led 34-year-old

Sunita Patel to end her life here on Saturday.

In her suicide note, Sunita has said that two of her colleagues at

the National Sample Survey Organisation -- Yamuna and Alpa -- had

driven her to despair by their snide remarks, alleging that she had

contracted AIDS and that her character was suspect.

Sunita hung herself with a dupatta at her residence in Ranip where

she used to stay with her brother, Dinesh Patel, and sister-in-law.

Dinesh has lodged a complaint with the Sabarmati police station.

Sunita's husband Govind Patel was a jawan in the Indian Army and was

diagnosed as HIV positive. He died in 1997.

" Sunita may have been HIV positive too. Documents relating to her

last medical examination have been called in to verify this, " says

PSI RK Chawda of Sabarmati police station, who is investigating the

case.

Dinesh told the Sabarmati police that the " verbal assault on Sunita

in her office had peaked in the last 15 days " and she often

complained to him and his wife.

On Saturday afternoon, Dinesh went out on a social visit while his

son Gaurang and wife decided to take a nap. Sunita was last seen

going into an adjoining room.

It was only after Dinesh returned home to change to go on another

social visit that he tried to enter Sunita's room. Finding it locked,

he peeped through the window and found her hanging from the ceiling

fan.

" Her suicide note repeatedly mentions that she is a pious woman and

is being unnecessarily blamed by her colleagues. She clearly states

that Alpa and Yamuna are responsible for her death.

Investigations are on in this case and the culprits will be arrested

soon, " Chawda told TNN.

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