A 21-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide in Chennai, two months after her brother reportedly killed her husband in a suspected case of hate crime over their inter-caste marriage, police said.
“The woman, who was living with her in-laws, attempted suicide on April 20 and was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. She died during her treatment around 7pm on April 22,” a senior police officer from the Tambaram commissionerate said, requesting anonymity. “No suicide note has been found.”
The woman, who was pursuing an engineering course, married a 22-year-old Dalit man in October 2023. Her family, who belonged to the Vanniyar community, an Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste, was opposed to their inter-caste marriage, police said.
On February 25, the woman’s elder brother, along with his four aides, killed her husband in Pallikaranai. All five have been arrested and booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
The woman had demanded strict action against other members of her family, including her parents, whom she believed had abetted the murder, the senior officer said. “We will record statements of the parents of the couple. She has already given a statement that her brother could have acted based on her parents’ instructions,” the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}The woman had demanded strict action against other members of her family, including her parents, whom she believed had abetted the murder, the senior officer said. “We will record statements of the parents of the couple. She has already given a statement that her brother could have acted based on her parents’ instructions,” the officer added.
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