The family of Athulya Sekhar, an Indian expat who died on her 30th birthday in Sharjah last month, says they will not stop until they uncover the truth. Her husband’s bail, they claim, has only strengthened their resolve.
On Sunday, immigration officials in Kerala detained Satheesh Sivasankara Pillai at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after his arrival from the UAE. Police acted on a lookout notice linked to allegations that he harassed, abused, and demanded dowry from Athulya. Shortly after the detention, the State Crime Branch took over the investigation.
Satheesh walked free later that day because he had already secured anticipatory bail from the Kollam District Court. The court granted the bail on August 8, citing a Sharjah forensic report that said Athulya died by suicide. Judges also pointed out that authorities in the UAE had not filed charges against him.
Athulya’s father said the family had no idea about the bail. Her brother-in-law in Sharjah confirmed this, adding that he discovered Satheesh’s travel plans through a contact in Dubai. He quickly passed the flight details to Kerala police, leading to the detention.
The family believes Athulya’s locked phone could hold crucial evidence. They gave it to investigators after Satheesh failed to unlock it, triggering a security block due to repeated wrong password attempts. They hope the device will reveal what happened in her final days.
Earlier, the family released videos showing Satheesh abusing Athulya both mentally and physically. After the footage went public, his Dubai employer fired him from his position as a site engineer.
Athulya died on July 19 in the couple’s Rolla apartment in Sharjah—the same day she was meant to start a new job at a nearby mall. The couple’s 10-year-old daughter now lives with Athulya’s parents. On July 29, her remains returned to her hometown for the funeral, followed by an inquest and a re-postmortem at the family’s request.
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