Kowsalya, 19, who was attacked by a five member gang that also murdered her husband, dalit youth V Shankar, 22, on March 13, stepped out of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where she has been receiving treatment, for the first time, to depose before the Palladam judicial magistrate court.
Yet to recover from the shock of the murder, she gave her statement before the court, recalling the brutal attack on her husband in Udumalpet.
Since it was an in-camera proceeding, only the judicial magistrate, a court staff and Kowsalya were in the court hall. Sources privy to the proceeding said, Kowsalya narrated the sequence of events, from her acquaintance with Shankar to the day he was murdered, for two and a half hours.
After the proceeding, she was escorted back to the hospital amidst tight security. Relatives of Shankar and public were not allowed to get near her.
Meanwhile, her father Chinnasamy, 39, was taken to Udumalpet from Madurai central prison and was produced before a judicial magistrate court on Monday.
Udumalpet police filed a petition before the court, seeking seven days police custody of Chinnasamy and the court has granted it. He was taken to Udumalpet police station for further interrogation in connection with the murder case.
Kowsalya has been recovering from severe head injuries and has been undergoing treatment at the trauma ward at CMCH. With the support of various human rights activists, Kowsalya sought permission from the relevant police officials to attend the cremation of her husband, but in vain.
She was taken to Palladam judicial magistrate court from CMCH in 108 ambulance by a team of police officials and a doctor. She was produced before the judicial magistrate Krishnan who recorded her statements under section 164 CrPC at the court hall. Later, she was returned to CMCH by the police.
CMCH dean A Edwin Joe said that Kowsalya was severely depressed and is being counselled regularly. "Within three days she will completely recover from her injuries. We will consult with her neurosurgeon before discharging her from the hospital," said Edwin Joe.