My in-laws are my parents: Kowsalya

Kowsalya, widow of dalit youth Shankar, went to live with her in-laws, after she was discharged from Coimbatore Medical College and Hosptial (CMCH) on Monday. She said she does not wish to see her parents or live with them again.

"My in-laws are my parents. Shankar's family is my family," she said. She hopes that Shankar's killers would face the death penalty.

Kowsalya wants to work to take care of Shankar's family. "If the government is willing to give me a job, I will complete my studies through correspondence. I want to help run the family and educate Shankar's brothers," she said. Shankar has two younger brothers, V Vigneshwaran, 19, who is studying second year BSc Computer Science and V Yuvaraj, 16, Class 11 student. "We will treat her just the way our brother treated her and take care of her," said Vigneshwaran.

Shankar's father Velusamy told reporters that he would treat Kowsalya as his own daughter and give her the same love and affection that he had given Shankar.

Relatives of Shankar and well-wishers who had gathered outside their home in Udumalpettai on Monday to condole the death of Shankar, expressed their support for Kowsalya. The family had arranged for a small condolence function on the 16th day after Shankar's death.

Kowsalya said that she wanted to move forward and stay strong. "I hope people will learn to treat each other irrespective of caste and religion. I hope people will learn from this incident. I want my parents to get the death penalty for killing my husband," she said.

After marrying Shankar, Kowsalya had discontinued her studies due to financial difficulties. "Shankar was in his final year and he was placed in the campus interview as well. We were planning to move to Chennai after he got his offer letter and I wanted to continue my studies there," said Kowsalya. Kowsalya was studying B E computer science.

Recalling the tragedy, Kowsalya said that Shankar kept talking to her on their way to CMCH. "He told me in his last few moments that he would never leave me and I should stay strong," she said. "I will fight and get justice for him," she said.

Kowsalya's father Chinnasamy, 39, had surrendered at Nilakottai in Dindigul district. Pandithurai, 49, Kowsalya's maternal uncle who instigated the murder, was arrested by the police. Kowsalya's mother Annalakshmi is absconding. Police had arrested four men who had attacked them in broad daylight and murdered Shankar as well.

On March 13, a five-member gang murdered Shankar in full public view in Udumalpet. The gang attacked Kowsalya also. Shankar died on the way to CMCH.

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