MBA graduate ends her life as fiance calls off wedding

Victim told parents: forgive me for bringing shame on you

A 32-year-old MBA graduate is reported to have committed suicide after her fiancé called off the wedding citing “incompatibility” and her demand that he relocate from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. The wedding was scheduled for May 22.

Nagalakshmi had met Karthik, four years her junior, through Facebook about two years ago. They exchanged phone numbers and started dating. Karthik hails from Bengaluru and was living in Ireland at that time. The couple decided to get married after sometime. Karthik returned to India and landed a job at a software company in Hyderabad, a senior police officer who is part of the investigation said.

In 2016, Karthik and Nagalakshmi informed their parents about their wedding plans. Both the families approved of the alliance, and the couple got engaged. The wedding was scheduled for some time later. But just a few days after the engagement, Karthik’s father succumbed to cancer. Both the families decided to postpone the wedding until next year. Later, the wedding was scheduled for May 22, 2017. The wedding hall was booked and other arrangements were under way. So far so good.

Around 10 days ago, Karthik sent a WhatsApp message to Nagalakshmi, calling off the wedding. A stunned Nagalakshmi informed her parents. Even Karthik’s family was surprised. When both the families deliberated on what went wrong, it emerged that Karthik didn’t like the idea of relocating to Bengaluru, a demand put forth by Nagalakshmi. He also told her they were not compatible, according to the officer.

Nagalakshmi’s parents spoke to Karthik several times and tried to convince him but in vain. Gradually, Karthik started avoiding her calls and messages. She decided to go to Hyderabad along with her parents to meet him. But nothing seemed to work. Nagalakshmi slipped into depression and told her parents that she has brought shame on them and doesn’t deserve to live. But her parents cheered her up, asking her to forget the past and focus on her career.

On Monday evening, Nagalakshmi sent an e-mail to her father asking them to forgive her for the decision she is going to take and for bringing shame on the family. She said she was not brave enough to face her friends or relatives. After sending the e-mail, she went into her bedroom at their  house in Ideal Homes township in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, west Bengaluru, and hanged herself from the ceiling fan. Her parents were not at home at that time.

Nagalakshmi’s father, who runs a footwear store, later approached the police and filed a complaint against Karthik. Police have booked him for aiding and abetting the suicide and are hunting for him.