In a terrible ending to a sad story, two married women, who were secret lesbian lovers for a number of years, committed suicide by setting themselves ablaze. Family members of Christy Jayanthi Malar, aged 38, and Rukmani, aged 40, had known about the relationship, and had made multiple attempts to separate them. The day the women committed suicide, members of both families intensely harassed the two women.

The police recovered the charred bodies of the women, who died hugging each other, from one of their homes in Sathangadu, near Thiruvotriyur, on Saturday. 

“Around midnight, they poured kerosene on their bod(ies) and set themselves on fire. They appear to have hugged each other during the final moments of their life,” an investigation officer who inspected the scene said. 

Based on a complaint by Rukmani’s elder sister Padmavathy, Sathangadu police have registered the case and an investigation is under way. 

Family members have agreed to bury the ashes of the women together. 

Reacting to the incident, lawyer and activist Sudha Ramalingam said it was time Section 377 of IPC (India’s law that bans ‘unnatural’ sexual offense) was abolished. “We have reached a stage where one has to accept relationships which are not termed normal. Everyone has the right, especially two consenting adults, to choose their way of life,” she said. All India Democratic Women’s Association leader Vasuki said suicides are not a solution to any problem. “Same sex relationships are coming to the fore these days, and we do not have a coping mechanism in place,” she told The Times of India. 

Source: Times of India