In a chilling case of honour killing that came to light here on Saturday, a 21-year-old woman belonging to an intermediate caste had allegedly been murdered and her body burnt by her family members for marrying a person of another caste.
Police have arrested the girl’s father, mother, brother and an aunt.
Police sources said the victim B. Suganya, hailing from Veeralampatti near Sedapatti here, had completed nursing and was employed as a trainee in a private hospital in Erode when she fell in love with K. Boopathy (23), a native of Gangapuram in Erode.
He belonged to another intermediate caste and was working as a painter.
According to the police, the couple got married in January this year but their marriage was opposed by Suganya’s family when they were informed by the couple a month later.
However, an official involved in the investigation said the girl’s father K. Periyakarthikeyan and a couple of relatives went to Erode in mid-April to persuade the couple to attend jallikattu and a temple festival in the nearby Mangalrevu village.
Later, Boopathy was sent back to Erode by the family by stating that Suganya would stay in the village for some more days.
As she did not return, Boopathy reportedly approached the police in Erode district first and later on Friday approached Sedapatti police in Madurai district asking them to unite him with his wife.
When the Sedapatti police summoned Suganya’s family and enquired them, they allegedly confessed to have murdered her few weeks before and burnt the body near a hillock located around 2 km from the village.
Scattered remains found
Vijayendra S. Bidari, Superintendent of Police, Madurai, who visited the spot, said the body could not be recovered since only scattered remains were found at the place. He said that a case has been registered under Section 302 of the IPC for murder and Section 201 of the IPC for destroying evidence.
