The Thiruvananthapuram Police on Wednesday arrested four members of a family of a woman who committed suicide along with her daughter on Tuesday. The woman’s husband, Chandran, had told the police that his wife and daughter set themselves on fire because the bank had threatened to attach their house over repayment of a loan.

However, on Wednesday, the police arrested Chandran, his mother, and two other family members into custody for alleged mental harassment of the woman over dowry, PTI reported. A case of abetment to suicide was registered against them, Thiruvananthapuram Rural Superintendent of Police B Ashok said.

The arrests were made after the police discovered a three-page letter written by the mother-daughter duo pasted on the wall of the room in which they committed suicide. Ashok said Lekha, Chandran’s wife, had said in her note that she was constantly mentally harassed for dowry by the four accused, especially her mother-in-law. She alleged that the accused performed black magic on her, and Chandran never tried to prevent the attachment of his house. He also wanted to get married again, she said.

The police said the suicide note, which had been signed by both women, was sent for forensic testing.

Ashok said there was no evidence that Canara Bank had harassed the family for payment of loan arrears. “We have not seen the bank documents,” he added.

Protestors had blocked roads in Thiruvanathapuram on Tuesday following the incident, Mathrubhumi reported. On Wednesday, activists of the Kerala Students Union and Congress protested outside the regional Canara Bank office in the city. They also vandalised the bank’s front office.