Mumbai Crime: Former Flight Attendant-Turned Lawyer Shalini Devi Found Murdered In Powai; Estranged Husband Arrested

Mumbai: Shalini Devi (56) left a job as a flight attendant to study law. Influenced by the work done by advocate Flavia Agnes who had set up Majlis, a forum that gives legal and social support to women and children facing domestic and sexual violence, Devi joined the organisation in 2012.

For the next four years, she worked with the group, helping women seeking help and shelter in situations of physical, psychological, and sexual violence. On Saturday, Devi was found dead in her flat in Powai. Her estranged husband, who she had remarried after a divorce, was arrested as an accused in the murder.

Reaction from Colleagues

Devi's former colleagues at Majlis are distraught by the news of her death. Advocate Audrey D'Mello, director, Majlis Legal Centre, said, "It is very disturbing. It is bad enough when we hear a friend has passed away, but in this manner? And after all the work that we do."

Signs of Domestic Struggles

Though Devi rarely talked about her domestic situation with colleagues, there were inklings that things were not right at home. Her former colleagues remember her once staying back in the office, waiting for her son to reach home because she was scared of returning.

"But she wanted to make the marriage work. I remember our conversation when she decided to get married again to her former husband. She had clearly said after her divorce that she did not want to get together. Her husband wanted to get back together. In her head, it was for her son," said D'Mello.

Silence Around Abuse

Devi could have been in a circumstance that many women facing domestic violence are thrown into: the attempt to make things look normal outside the house and avoid any mention of domestic violence which is perceived as social shame.

"When we are doing this work, it is so difficult to talk about what is happening in your own home because you do not want to depict yourself in a particular way. That is the biggest struggle we have to work on," said D'Mello.

Investigation Underway

The motive behind Devi's murder is under investigation, but a preliminary probe indicates that her husband, who was staying separately, had visited her that afternoon. Devi's son, who is reported to be engaged to be married, is said to have supported his mother in her marital struggles.

Professional Shift

After Devi left Majlis to work at the matrimonial courts, she kept in touch with her former colleagues. “When people ask whether the abuse is emotional or physical, I say it is never one. It starts verbally and ends in physical violence. The signs of abusive behaviour could not have just come up suddenly; they would have been in your face,” said D’Mello.

"When people ask whether the abuse is emotional or physical, I say it is never one. It starts verbally and ends in physical violence. The signs of abusive behaviour could not have just come up suddenly; they would have been in your face."

Ignored Warning Signs

By all reports, Devi tried to protect herself. She declined to reconcile after the couple's second stint at marriage even when her husband allegedly refused to grant a divorce. D'Mello wonders what was on Devi's mind when she opened the door that afternoon. "Was she trying to be nice? I do not know. You are so careful on the road, whereas you ignore warning signs in a relationship," said D'Mello.

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Counselling Reflections

During their counselling at Majlis, women are asked whether they would like to return to their matrimonial home after a reconciliation. "This (Devi's death) is so difficult to accept. Everytime I ask a woman to go home, I will ask this question: will she get killed? This is what the incident has done to me," said D'Mello.

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