Mar 18, 2022: Rahim Yar Khan’s female police officer who was appointed as City Focal Person Sub Inspector, Mary Rose has committed suicide.

Her suicide note penned with lipstick on a mirror, has sparked debate on social media and is a chilling reminder of the systemic failure of the society to do anything about domestic situations that drive a person to take their own life.

Sub-inspector Rose is survived by two daughters and a husband. Before committing suicide, she left a suicide note in a form of writing with lipstick on the dressing table’s mirror that said she wished her daughters to be married to ‘human beings’ who can handle the responsibility.

The last message of the police inspector who ended her life included a wish to die a painless death.

Her final moments of desperation are reflected in the message she writes apologising to her mother and hoping for a painless death. She also asked and wished to get her daughtersmarried to someone who can handle the responsibility.

It should be noted that Rahim Yar Khan’s sub-inspector Mary Rose belonged to a Christian family whose husband also worked as a police inspector and it is alleged that the incident took place between the two spouses that escalated the situation.

After informing the police about the matter, an investigation was launched which revealed that she had taken pesticide pills after an argument with her husband. She was rushed to Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) where she was treated but died shortly afterwards.

Her professionalism was lauded by her colleagues with SSP Investigation Captain (retd) Mohammad Dost, saying that Rose was one of the finest police officers in the district. “She used to put additional effort in every case, used to lead by example and also used to take care of their issues by contacting higher officials.”

Meanwhile, in a recent development, five days after the suicide of Sub-Inspector Mary Rose, members of her family have blamed the senior police officers of the district for her act.

Her grandfather, Hadayat Masih, alleged that Rose was very depressed because she was not granted wedlock transfer or leave.

He said the district police officer (DPO) did not approve her leave as well as her transfer to Lahore and second, her husband, a police employee at Special Branch, Lahore, had put pressure on her to come to Lahore by quitting the job. Masih made it clear that there were no differences between Rose and her husband Sarwar Masih, as police claimed, saying she had committed suicide over domestic issues.

According to Masih, on the day of her death, she went to the DPO to inquire about her application, said Masih, adding the DPO did not grant her leave on the excuse of lack of police force.

On the other hand, Dost Muhammad SSP, rejected the claims of the family, saying that according to a preliminary inquiry, some domestic issues were the reason for her suicide. He said her suicide note was found on the mirror in her room and more findings in the inquiry would be shared later.

Dost also denied claims she took her life after being denied a leave request by the department saying that everyone from officers to personnel working in the police department can apply for leaves and only rarely is it denied, adding that under emergency situations the leaves of any police personnel is never denied.

Dost Muhammad further said the police department had the discipline and any case of leave was put in the orderly room of the DPO while there were no chances of rejection of the leave application in normal circumstances while under special circumstances, like law and order issue in the district, the matter of leave could be put on a halt for the time being.

The SP claimed that a day before her suicide, Rose came to his office to receive a cheque and she was very calm.

“This [suicide note] is very crucial evidence during the investigation [of suicide cases],” he added.

He assured that police are investigating the case from all angles and it will be taken to its logical conclusion, adding that Rose’s husband, who resides in Lahore, is also being questioned.

“Rose Mary’s last message indicates that all was not well between her and her husband.”

Police spokesperson, Saif Ali Wains told Dawn News that the deceased had not applied for any leave or wedlock transfer in recent days; saying he did not know about any application in this regard during the previous years.

However, he did maintain that relating the issue of her leave or transfer to her suicide was not right.

While the intensity or the real reasons for the quarrel remain unknown, the last part of Mary Rose’s suicide note has sparked a debate on social media. The fate of Rose has attracted debate from news analysts and social media users alike.

Twitter users, while expressing grief over the incident, stated that the stigma surrounding divorce often leaves women helpless.

“This is what our society does. Stigmatize divorce and force our sisters and daughters to keep suffering in an abusive relationship,” one Twitter user wrote.