Interpol has issued a Blue Corner notice for a man accused of brutally assaulting and attempting to murder his newly-wed wife in Kerala's Kozhikode district, police reported on Friday. Amidst speculations, authorities believe the suspect may have fled to Germany, where he is employed.
A senior police officer in Kozhikode city confirmed that the Blue Corner notice has been issued and has been in effect since Thursday. "A request was sent to Interpol through the Ministry of External Affairs for issuing it," the officer said.
A Blue Corner notice, issued by the international police cooperation body Interpol, is used to collect additional information from member countries about a person's identity, location, or activities in relation to a crime. This notice follows a lookout circular issued by the police against the accused husband, Rahul P. Gopal.
On Tuesday, allegations surfaced and were aired on TV channels by the bride and her family against the accused man. They claimed he brutally assaulted and attempted to kill his wife following an argument over dowry, barely a week after their wedding on May 5.
The in-laws of the bride have denied the allegation that they had demanded dowry. Gopal's mother had claimed that her daughter-in-law was refusing to stay in the matrimonial home and that led to an argument and subsequent fight between the couple. "We never demanded dowry as we do not require it," the woman had said.
In addition to police action, both the Kerala Women's Commission (KWC) and the State Human Rights Commission are investigating the issue and have requested reports from the investigating agency. The KWC has criticized the police for allegedly not initially taking the woman's complaint seriously.