27-year-old Dalit youth hacked to death by girlfriend’s brother in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In a suspected case of honour killing, a 27-year-old Dalit IT professional was hacked to death in Tirunelveli by the brother of a woman with whom he was in a relationship. S Surjit (24), who belongs to the dominant Maravar community, has surrendered, while his parents -- Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both sub-inspectors of police, have been taken into custody in connection with the crime that occurred on Sunday.

The victim, identified as Kavin Selva Ganesh, who hailed from Arumugamangalam in neighbouring Thoothukudi district, was working in a software firm with an annual cost to the company (CTC) of Rs 24 lakh. The woman, S Subhashini, was working as a Siddha doctor at a clinic in KTC Nagar in Tirunelveli town.

Both had known each other since their school days and were in a relationship despite strong objections from the girl’s family. Police said Kavin met his friend on Sunday at the clinic where she was working to consult her about his grandfather’s worsening health condition, when her brother Surjith took him aside, saying his parents wanted to meet him.

However, Surjith took him to a secluded place on his two-wheeler and started shouting at him for being in a relationship with his elder sister, who hails from a dominant community.

“He threw chilli powder on Kavin’s face after which he started running. But Surjith chased him and hacked him to death,” S Tamilselvi, Kavin’s mother, said in her complaint to the police, adding that the girl’s parents had earlier threatened her son to cut off his ties with their daughter.

The victim had told his younger brother about the threats from the girl’s family but didn’t pursue them further. Surjith and his parents have been booked under various sections of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The victim’s family has demanded that the government immediately suspend the police personnel and take strict action against them and has warned of protests if there is any laxity on the part of the police in the investigations into the crime.

While the boy belonged to the Devendra Kula Vellalar (DVC) community, a sub-caste of Dalits, the woman hails from the Maravar community, who form the Mukulathors along with the Kallar and Agamudaiyar communities. Caste-related violence, including in classrooms, has been on the rise in districts like Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi for the past few years despite efforts by the government and communities to nip them in the bud.

Kavin’s father and mother pinned the blame for the murder squarely on the sub-inspector couple saying their son wouldn’t have committed such a “horrible crime” without their active support.

“The parents of the girl are behind this murder. They will surely pay the price for killing my son. He is innocent. What was his crime?” she asked, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

The victim’s father, Sekar, said Kavin was earning well and had come home from Chennai to take care of his grandfather.

“It was a well-hatched plan. The girl’s brother took my son on the pretext of meeting his parents and murdered him. How did he muster the courage to do this? Is it a crime to fall in love?” he asked.