Kerala High Court grants bail to IB officer Sukanth Suresh after 44 days in jail. He was accused of abetting his girlfriend’s suicide under false promise of marriage.
Kochi: Today, on July 10, the Kerala High Court has granted bail to Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Sukanth Suresh, who was arrested in connection with the suicide of his 24-year-old girlfriend and colleague.
The order was passed by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, after the Court observed that further custody was not necessary.
The case involves serious allegations that the IB officer mentally harassed and sexually exploited his colleague under the false promise of marriage, eventually driving her to suicide.
The young woman, also an IB officer, was working at the Immigration Department of Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. She was found dead near the railway tracks at Chakka on March 24, 2025.
According to the deceased’s father, she had been in a relationship with the 31-year-old officer, who allegedly took her salary for several months and then refused to marry her.
Following his complaint, Pettah Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relates to abetment of suicide.
Sukanth Suresh had earlier approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, denying any involvement in the tragic incident.
He claimed that they had been in a consensual live-in relationship and had even agreed mutually to get married.
His lawyer further argued that the young woman was under heavy pressure from her parents, which could have led to her taking the extreme step.
However, in May 2025, the Kerala High Court dismissed Suresh’s anticipatory bail plea. At that time, the Court had stated that custodial interrogation was required to find out the full truth.
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It had also made strong observations based on preliminary investigation, which painted a more disturbing picture.
The Court had noted several critical findings:
- Suresh was allegedly involved with multiple women at the same time and had physical relationships with them.
- He had taken control of the victim’s salary since October 2024.
- The victim became pregnant by Suresh, and the pregnancy was later aborted.
- Part of the WhatsApp chats retrieved from a deleted account indicated that Suresh was mentally harassing the deceased and exerting dominance, even compelling her to give in to his demands.
- Witness statements also indicated that Suresh had allegedly encouraged the woman to die and even urged her to fix a date for her suicide.
Considering these facts, the Court had then said custodial interrogation was necessary.
After his anticipatory bail was denied, Suresh surrendered to the police and was arrested the following day. He had been in judicial custody since May 27, 2025, for almost 44 days, before filing a regular bail application.
On Thursday, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas allowed his bail plea, noting that the police had completed the primary part of the investigation. The Court remarked:
“The petitioner’s application for anticipatory bail was dismissed by this Court earlier. Thereafter, he surrendered and has been in custody since May 27, 2025. The main purposes of the investigation have already been carried out. The petitioner’s mobile phone has been retrieved and the data has been sent for forensic analysis. Even though the petitioner has been alleged to have sexually exploited the victim under false promise of marriage further and also abetted the commission of suicide, further custody is not necessary since there is no chance of the petitioner influencing the victim or tampering with evidence.”
This observation made it clear that the Court saw no further justification to keep Suresh in jail at this stage of the proceedings.
The case continues to attract attention due to the involvement of intelligence officers and the tragic circumstances surrounding the young woman’s death.
As the legal process moves forward, the final outcome will depend on the evidence gathered and presented before the court.
Case Title:
Sukanth Suresh P v. State of Kerala & Ors.
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