Honour killing: Brother hacks to death sister, husband in Tamil Nadu

In another case of honour killing in Tamil Nadu, a person hacked to death his sister and her husband.

The dastardly act took place at Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu on Monday evening.

The deceased is Saranya (24) and her husband Mohan (31). Saranya who is a Dalit married Mohan, of Naicker caste five days ago after a love affair of five months. Saranya, a nurse, took her ailing mother to a Chennai hospital where she was working and met Mohan who was at the hospital as an attendant to his relative. The friendship turned into a love affair and they decided to marry amid strict opposition from both the families.

Saryanya's brother Sakthivel (31) wanted her to be married off to his friend, Ranjith (28) of Devanagiri. However, Saranya insisted on marrying Mohan which infuriated her brother.

However, police said that Shakthivel invited them for dinner at the family residence and after the feast hacked both of them to death. Ranjith was also an accomplice in the murder of the duo.

Thanjavur Superintendent of Police, G. Ravali Priya told IANS that both the accused, Sakthivel and Ranjith are in police custody and further investigation is on.

She said that a detailed charge sheet will be presented before the court after taking information from eye witnesses, relatives and friends, and local people.

Even as the Dravidian parties are claiming social equality, Tamil Nadu is turning into one of the most vulnerable states of South India for honour killings based on caste and casteism is rampant in the state with the Dalit families not even being able to cross the fields of the backward castes and upper castes.