Malayalam actor Unni Dev arrested in wife’s suicide case in Kerala

The Kerala Police on Tuesday arrested Malayalam actor Unni Dev in connection with his wife Priyanka’s death by alleged suicide at her house in Vembayam in Thiruvananthapuram district last week. A day before her death she had filed a police complaint against Unni Dev under the domestic violence act.

Soon after her death, her family members alleged foul play and claimed she was tortured for dowry. They said Priyanka had bruises all over her body and she was forced to leave her husband’s flat in Kochi. They demanded that her husband and his relatives were booked for abetment to suicide. Unni and Priyanka, a physical education teacher, got married in 2019. Priyanka’s relatives said they used to fight frequently during the Covid-19 induced lockdown last year, when he allegedly started selling off her gold.

Son of Malayalam actor late Raja P Dev, known in the south for his negative roles, Unni Dev started his career in television serials and later featured in many movies in minor roles. A senior police officer of Vattapara police station on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram said he will be charged with abetment to suicide, domestic violence and other relevant charges of the Indian Penal code.