Home News “I’ve Lost My Child, Please Report Accurate Information”: Rithanya’s Father Breaks Down...

“I’ve Lost My Child, Please Report Accurate Information”: Rithanya’s Father Breaks Down As Dravidianist Media Puthiya Thalaimurai Misquotes Him, Deletes Post Later

By
The Commune
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puthiya thalaimurai rithanya

The Dravidianist media outlet Puthiya Thalaimurai has come under intense criticism for its selective and misleading portrayal of the victim’s father in the Tiruppur Rithanya dowry death case. The channel, in its rush for a sensational byte, aired a heavily edited version of an emotional interview, painting the grieving father as regressive and conservative at a time when the family was already shattered by their daughter’s tragic death and allegedly facing political influence, as the groom’s family is reportedly linked to the Congress party. The case itself has seen little progress, raising serious concerns about justice being delayed or denied.

Against this backdrop, Puthiya Thalaimurai published a news card and aired a video segment in which Rithanya’s father, while mourning his daughter, said she lived by the principle of “one man, one woman” and that he was proud of her for that. But what the channel deliberately omitted was the rest of his message where he clearly advised others not to take such a path, emphasizing that life has options, and suicide is never the solution.

Instead, the media outlet chose to highlight only this line with title, “Cruel words,” and in the news card it added, “Whether or not to take up an alternate life depends on each person’s mindset, but my daughter has died living ‘one man, one woman’. Even though I lost my daughter, I’m proud of that. – Controversial speech by Rithanya’s father, who committed suicide due to dowry harassment”

This manipulated edit quickly went viral. Dravidianist and Periyarist handles on social media latched onto it, vilifying the grieving father, painting him casteist and regressive, and subjecting him to a torrent of online abuse.

Only after massive backlash from netizens who exposed the full context did Puthiya Thalaimurai quietly delete the post and the video. But by then, the damage was already done, his words had been twisted, and his character publicly tarnished while he mourned his daughter and sought justice.

For the record, here’s what Rithanya’s father actually said in full, “Whether or not to take up an alternate life depends on each person’s mindset, but my daughter has died living ‘one man, one woman’ (meaning she believed in one true love/partner). Even though I lost my daughter, I’m proud of that. I don’t think all daughters should be like that. But there is a way to live. One can live. Deciding that one must die by taking their life and leaving this world, is a wrong decision.”

Below are some of the posts of online abuse that were directed at the victim’s father as a result of the misleading news coverage.

Even recently, Rithanya’s father, while speaking to the press outside the court, broke down in tears with folded hands, pleading with the media to act responsibly. He said, “I stand here having lost my child. Please, I earnestly and humbly request you to provide accurate information. Whatever justice you would expect if it were a child from your own home, please publish news in line with that. That is all I humbly and earnestly ask of you. I have lost my child; now, I want justice for the remaining children. Please report the news with that in mind.”

Case Background 

Rithanya, a 27-year-old woman from Avinashi, was found dead inside her car near Cheyur in late June 2025, just over two months after her wedding. She had married E. Kavin Kumar, 28, of Palankarai near Avinashi, on 11 April 2025. Kavin is the son of Easwaramoorthy and Sithradevi, and the grandson of R. Krishnan, who currently serves as the Tiruppur Urban District President of the Congress party.

Preliminary police investigations suggested that Rithanya died by consuming poison. Prior to her death, she sent a series of voice messages to her father, Annadurai, in which she accused her husband and his parents of subjecting her to both physical and emotional abuse. These recordings were widely shared on social media following her death, sparking public outrage and demands for justice.

Following the incident, the Avinashi police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 85 (cruelty by husband or his relatives) and 108 (abetment of suicide). Kavin and his father, Easwaramoorthy, were arrested. Although Rithanya had also named her mother-in-law, Sithradevi, in the voice messages, she was released on health grounds. Rithanya’s family, however, has alleged that political pressure influenced the decision not to arrest her.

The victim’s parents have accused the groom’s family of dowry harassment, claiming they had already provided 100 sovereigns of gold and a luxury car valued at ₹62 lakh at the time of the wedding. They allege that demands for an additional 200 sovereigns followed, along with further abuse. Rithanya’s father, Annadurai, has also made serious allegations of sexual misconduct against his daughter’s husband.

Raising concerns over the direction of the investigation, Rithanya’s parents met with Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami in Salem. They requested his support in ensuring a fair and transparent probe, alleging attempts to tamper with evidence and malign their daughter’s character.

Meanwhile, R. Krishnan, the groom’s grandfather, dismissed the allegations, labeling them as false. He described the matter as a personal family issue and denied any political involvement, stating that the family would respond through legal means.

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