Mystery over husband’s death in Israel unsolved, Kerala woman dies by suicide

Reshma, 32, of Kolayadi village in Wayanad, died on Wednesday after allegedly consuming poison. (Express Photo, enhanced using Google Gemini)

More than five months after her husband was found dead in Israel, a Kerala woman has ended her life.

Reshma, who is survived by a 10-year-old daughter, was dejected over the delay in solving the mystery behind the death of her husband, who had flown to Israel in May. Apart from Jinesh, an 80-year-old woman was also found dead at the same apartment at Mevasseret Zion, a small town outside Jerusalem. Jinesh was employed to look after the woman’s bedridden husband.

A Keralite working in Israel as a caregiver, when contacted, said the death of the aged woman and her caregiver still remains a mystery. “Several times, we approached the Indian embassy in Israel seeking an answer. We were always told that the matter is before the court. Jinesh was found hanging in the apartment, while the woman was found dead with stab injuries,” she said.

Back in Wayanad, Reshma had approached the union government as well as the Israeli embassy seeking answers.

Suja James, a former panchayat member from Kolayadi, said, “After Jinesh’s death, Reshma was depressed. She never believed that her husband took the extreme step after killing the aged woman. She sent several emails to the authorities, but in vain,” she said.

Before leaving for Israel to work as a caregiver, Jinesh was employed as a representative of a pharma firm. Reshma, a graduate, was jobless. The couple had constructed a new house at Kolayadi. “Jinesh had gone to Israel to address the financial liability incurred from the construction of the house. Besides, he had spent lakhs to obtain a job visa. She had no reason to believe that her husband would end his life after killing a person,” said Suja.

The caregiver in Israel said Jinesh’s family is unlikely to get any compensation from the Israeli government. “Prima facie, his death had been considered a suicide. In Israel, caregivers have coverage for fatal accidents. Besides, Jinesh had stayed in Israel only for two months,” she said.