KUALA LUMPUR – When R. Puspa was informed of her daughter Rajeswary Appahu’s death, her first thought was that she was murdered. The idea that her strong and independent daughter might have taken her own life seemed unimaginable.
Puspa suggests that cyberbullying had overwhelmed her daughter, leading to her tragic decision.
The 29-year-old Rajeswary, known as Esha, first gained fame in Malaysia’s social media scene when she exposed a pharmaceutical company for falsely advertising that their products were sourced from Europe.
In reality, the products were bulk-purchased from Thailand and contained harmful substances. The Health Ministry has since banned the company’s products.
Esha’s social media influence grew, particularly within the local TikTok community.
However, her mother reminisces about her early years, highlighting her love for books and exemplary behaviour throughout primary school. Esha was praised by her teachers and was even awarded RM600 for her UPSR results.
“She even took the time to learn about different religions and I supported it because I come from a family with different faiths. In fact, my father is a Muslim convert.
“Rajeswary also had a diverse group of friends and I remember she would always invite them to the house for Deepavali celebrations,” Puspa said.
Coming from a lower-income household, Esha, one of four siblings, was close to her family and often supported them financially.
Her kindness also extended beyond her family. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, she distributed food aid and assisted with relief activities during floods.
“During Covid-19 I found out my daughter was distributing food baskets. So I used a friend’s phone pretending to be someone else and said I was poor and needed food, just to mess with her.
“But Rajeswary knew it was me and started crying because she couldn’t bear to see us having a hard time. She then banked in RM200 to us without any hesitation,” Puspa added.
At 17, Esha married and had a child. Despite early opposition from her in-laws, who suggested abortion, Puspa encouraged her daughter to keep the baby. Esha later divorced but remained a dedicated mother, balancing a full-time job and a second income by selling makeup products on TikTok.
“Rajeswary’s in-laws suggested to abort the baby. They are from a well-to-do family and they didn’t like the idea of marrying and having children young.
“I told Rajeswary to keep the baby because I knew her in-laws would change their mind once the kid was born.
“In the end, Rajeswary was a great mother and took care of her son very well.
“When she went overseas to work, I helped to take care of the kid until he was eight years old,” Puspa added.
On July 5, Esha was found dead at her home in Rawang, believed to have taken her own life.
A week prior, she had been released from police remand following a complaint by independent preacher Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu. He had reported her for hosting a TikTok live session where an individual had insulted Islam.
Following her release, Esha filed a police report about online harassment by a TikTok account called Dulal Brothers.
On July 18, P. Shalini was charged for making insulting remarks towards Puspa and Esha, and fined RM100 after pleading guilty under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955.
B. Sathiskumar also pleaded guilty to issuing obscene comments against Esha via the TikTok account @dulal_brothers_360, calling her a “daughter of a whore”.
He faces charges under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, with potential penalties of up to one year in jail, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both.
However, he pleaded not guilty to insulting the modesty of Puspa via the same account. – July 21, 2024
