A 22-year-old schoolteacher allegedly died by suicide near Magudanchavadi on Tuesday evening after her estranged boyfriend reportedly uploaded morphed photographs of her on social media, police said.
The deceased has been identified as K Shanmugapriya, a resident of Ernapuram village and a teacher at a private school.
According to officials from the Tamil Nadu Police, Shanmugapriya had been in a relationship with Gautam, a resident of the same locality, during their engineering studies near Rasipuram. Police said she recently ended the relationship citing alleged abusive behaviour.
Allegations of online harassment
Sub-Inspector G Kannan stated that Shanmugapriya’s family had begun searching for a prospective groom. It is alleged that in an attempt to disrupt her marriage plans, Gautam uploaded morphed images of her on Facebook and Instagram.
Her mother, K Vijayalakshmi, who is a widow, found her hanging from the ceiling of her room using a sari when she returned home on Tuesday evening. She immediately alerted the police.
The body was sent to the Government Hospital in Sankari for postmortem examination.
Case registered, probe on
Based on a complaint lodged by the mother, the Magudanchavadi police have registered a case and initiated an inquiry into the alleged social media harassment.
Officials said digital evidence is being examined and appropriate legal action will follow based on findings.
The incident has once again highlighted the serious psychological impact of online abuse and image-based harassment.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or online harassment, confidential support and legal assistance are available through helplines and local authorities.