Tamil Nadu: Another spurned youth murders woman; attempts suicide

A 23-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed to death by a man for rejecting his proposal, in fourth such killing in Tamil Nadu in the last three months.

Jahir (27) attempted suicide after killing Dhanya last night at Annur near here. He is in a critical condition, police said.

Dhanya, who worked in a private firm, was allegedly being harassed for some time by the accused to marry him though she had spurned his proposal, police said.

Recently, she got engaged to a man from Kerala and their marriage was fixed for next month. She was yesterday found murdered by her parents when they returned home, they said.

The victim had, earlier in the day, gone to a temple with her fiance on the occassion of Onam.

Investigations led police to Jahir, who, meanwhile, allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison. He had boarded a bus to Palakkad in neighbouring Kerala after committing the crime, they said.

A police team later found he had been admitted to a private hospital in Palakkad. Police said he would be brought to Annur once his condition improves.

A case was registered following a complaint by the woman's parents and the accused has been "secured", they said.

This is the fourth fatal attack on young women in the state, who had spurned proposals of their stalkers, since the killing of software professional Swathi at a railway station in Chennai in July.

Last month, an engineering student was clubbed to death in her classroom in a private college by her senior in Karur while a 25-year-old teacher was killed in a church by a man, who later ended his own life, for spurning his love.