The Kerala Police have arrested a 28-year-old post-graduate medical student for abetment of suicide under the sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

The Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Police took Dr E A Ruwise into custody from a relative’s house at Karunagapally on Wednesday night in connection with a suicide by his colleague, Shahana, induced by dowry demand.

Earlier on Wednesday, the police registered a case against Ruwise under the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1986 based on a first information statement filed by her brother. They have also accused the medical student of abetting of suspected suicide.

The police claimed to have found a suicide note purported to be written by Shahana on Tuesday, believing that her family could ill-afford the huge dowry allegedly demanded by Ruwise’s parents.

The police said Shahana had not named Ruwise or any other person as responsible for her death in the suicide note. However, the police claimed that a preliminary cyber forensic examination of their mobile phones provided initial proof of their engagement.

The mother and sister of the victim alleged that Ruwise backed out of a marriage proposal after the family could not meet his dowry demand. It is alleged that the Ruwise’s family demanded 150 sovereign gold, 15 acres of land and a BMW car as dowry.

After the incident, Shahana went into depression. The 28-year-old died after injecting anesthesia drug at her apartment near the college on Tuesday night. She too was a postgraduate student of surgery at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.

Meanwhile, the Health Department suspended Ruwise. Earlier, Health Minister Veena George had sought a report of the incident. The Kerala Medical Post Graduates Association (KMPGA) expelled Ruwise from the organisation’s primary membership. Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnumal said Ruwise would lose his MBBS degree if found guilty.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told media persons in Chalakudy that the government has taken a serious view of the tragedy. He said girls should rebuff those who set dowry as a prerequisite for marriage.