The death of a young Kerala domestic abuse victim and her father's fight for justice

“I did not lose my daughter, but my best friend… yes, my friend, that’s how I would describe my mol (daughter),” says Hygenous Parakkal, who recently quit his job in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for his daughter Anliya – to ensure she gets justice. On August 25, 2018, Anliya was reported missing from Thrissur Railway station. Three days later, on the night of August 28, her body was found in Periyar river in Aluva.

Over four months after Anliya's death, her husband, VV Justin, who was a suspect in the case, surrendered before a Judicial Magistrate court in Thrissur on January 19. But this first step towards justice for Anliya did not come easy. While Hygenous had filed a case accusing Justin right after Anliya’s death, the case did not move. Hygenous and his wife, Leelamma, had to move countries, piece together what evidence Anliya had left behind, and knock on the doors of the Chief Minister of Kerala before any action was taken.
And it was Anliya herself who ensured that Justin was put behind bars. The victim of domestic violence left behind a diary chronicling the abuse she faced at his hands, which became crucial in the case.


Days after Justin’s arrest, Hygenous speaks to TNM from his house in Kochi. “My daughter always stressed that she will marry the person that ‘papa’ likes. And that was Justin, a decision that I regret, and is giving me sleepless nights,” Hygenous says while attending to the stream of visitors to his house.