Hyderabad: The police are reportedly examining the possibility of adding abetment to suicide charges in the Hyderabad HIV injection assault case after the 24-year-old woman died by suicide, with her suicide note and a selfie video emerging as key pieces of evidence.
According to police, the woman ended her life at her grandmother’s house in Pocharam on Friday morning, April 10. Officials said her final note and video point to the alleged assault by the accused, Manohar, and the subsequent social stigma she faced as major reasons behind her decision.
“Based on the complaint and statement of her family, we will seek legal opinion on whether the abetment to suicide charge can be added against the accused,” the police said, according to a report by TOI.
Note and video detail trauma, social pressure
In her suicide note, the woman reportedly stated that the accused had “ruined her life” and that the incident led to widespread negative comments about her on social media, affecting her dignity and privacy.
In a selfie video recorded before her death, she recounted her relationship with Manohar, a relative who had expressed his love for her. She said she initially rejected him but later accepted the relationship.
She revealed that during a constable recruitment medical test, he was found to be HIV positive. After learning this, she stopped communicating with him. However, he later tried to convince her that he had lived for years without medication and that she would be safe.
She further stated that her parents had warned her against marrying him, fearing it would ruin her life.
According to her account, Manohar later came to her house and forcibly injected her with his blood, betraying her trust. She also said she informed a friend immediately after the incident, but delayed going to the hospital as she was already distressed.
Assault and investigation
The incident took place on March 11, when the accused allegedly barged into the woman’s flat and injected her with a syringe containing his HIV-infected blood.
As per case details, after emptying the contents of the syringe into her, the accused informed her that she was injected with his HIV-infected blood and left.
The woman developed fever and body pain the next day and was taken to a doctor. A mark on her forearm led to questioning, after which she disclosed the incident to her family.
Following a complaint, police arrested Manohar on March 14. Pocharam IT Corridor Police told Siasat.com that he was booked under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to attempt to murder, and is currently in judicial remand.
No clarity yet on HIV status
Police said there is no confirmation yet on whether the woman contracted HIV, as the test requires a window period of up to three months for reliable results, according to the TOI report.
The woman’s parents and grandmother, who work as flower sellers, were out when the incident occurred. The family discovered her body after the grandmother returned home around 10 am.
Her body has been shifted to Gandhi Hospital for post-mortem examination.
