This communally sensitive district has witnessed the third honour killing, with the police arresting the maternal uncle of a 28-year-old law graduate, who was strangulated to death by her parents and brother for eloping with a Dalit classmate a couple of years ago.
The police said Sangeetha Priya, 28, was murdered on September 28 last year. But the killing came to light only recently after the police intensified their probe into the suspicious death on the orders of Superintendent of Police N. M. Mylvahanan.
On Wednesday, the police arrested Muniasamy, her maternal uncle, who helped to dispose of the body and formed two teams to arrest her parents Velusamy and Rani and younger brother Anandaraj, who were absconding after the police tightened the noose.
“The interrogation of Muniasamy and others revealed that it was a case of honour killing,” Mr. Mylvahanan told The Hindu . He has ordered the arrest of Ramalingam, a community leader at Zamindarvalasai in Devipattinam, who helped the parents cremate the body without bringing it to the notice of the police.
Mr. Mylvahanan said Priya fell in love with Sundaresan, 29, while studying in Salem Law College and eloped with him after her parents refused to accept their marriage. They had lived together at Thirupachur in Thiruvallur district since 2011. The girl’s parents brought her back to their home at Parthibanur last year, assuring her of marriage with the man.
Sundaresan approached Mr. Mylvahanan in November last after making vain attempts to contact her. After investigations, the Paramakudi police found out that the girl was no more, and the house was locked.
After obtaining a complaint from the Village Administrative Officer, the police registered an FIR on December 9, 2013.
On the day of her death on September 28 last, neighbours and a 108 Ambulance driver had seen the girl coming out of her home, crying for help. Further interrogation revealed that she was strangulated.
