Hate crime: Man kills daughter over intercaste relationship in Tamil Nadu

The woman’s father and relatives murdered her on January 3 allegedly because she was in a relationship with a man from another caste

In a suspected hate crime, a 19-year-old woman was murdered allegedly by her father and a few of her relatives in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu after they learned that she in a relationship with a 19-year-old man from another caste, police said on Tuesday, adding the victim’s father has been arrested.

The woman’s father was arrested on Monday while other five suspects are being questioned, an investigator said (Getty Images)

According to the police, the incident took place on January 3 but came to light after B Naveen, who belongs to a scheduled caste (SC) community and a resident of Tiruppur district, filed a complaint with the Thanjavur police on January 7. The deceased has been identified as Iswarya , who belonged to a backward caste community and a resident of Neivaviduthi in Pattukkottai taluk of Thanjavur, police said.

“The woman’s father was arrested on Monday while other five suspects are being questioned,” an investigator in the case said, requesting anonymity.

In his complaint, Naveen told the police that he and Iswarya were in a relationship and worked together at a power loom unit at Avarapalayam in Tiruppur. The woman’s family, upon learning about the relationship, decided to marry her off to another man to separate them, the investigator said, citing the complaint.

However, the couple allegedly got married at a temple in Tiruppur on December 31. “They posted photos of their marriage on WhatsApp and Facebook and it reached the woman’s parents as well,” the officer said.

To be sure, the marriage is not legally valid as the man is an underage.

Meanwhile, the woman’s father and five of his relatives went to Tiruppur looking for her. The man accused, identified as Perumal (only single name is mentioned in police record), also filed a missing person’s complaint for his daughter at Palladam police station.

“They couldn’t find them at their work place,” the officer said, adding that the couple had rented a home.

Acting on the missing complaint, the police traced the woman on January 2 and handed her over to her father.

While Naveen was at his work place, the woman was taken back to Thanjavur by her father and relatives. Later, Naveen found out through his friends that the woman was dead.

“Around 7am on January 3, Perumal and some of his relatives allegedly killed her and cremated the body,” the investigator said.

Based on the complaint from the Dalit man, a first information report (FIR) under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against Perumal and five others at the Orathanadu police station in Thanjavur.

“It’s a very sensitive and shocking case,” a second senior officer said, also declining to be named. “The investigation is still in a preliminary stage. More details are emerging as we proceed with the probe.”