More than a month after the alleged ‘honour’ killing in which Dalit youth V. Sankar (22) was murdered and his caste Hindu wife S. Kausalya (19) was brutally attacked, the Tirupur police have concluded its investigation and filed the charge sheet against 11 persons, including the girl’s parents and maternal uncle.
The sensational daylight murder in Udumalpet in Tirupur district on March 13, 2016, triggered public outcry after video footage of the crime captured by a surveillance camera was released. Days after the murder, investigators managed to apprehend the assailants, while a few others, including Kausalya’s father, surrendered in different courts.
Police investigation had revealed the circumstances that led to the chilling murder of the engineering student who married Kausalya, his junior at college, against the will of her parents. Though her family and kin attempted to separate her from Sankar on a few occasions, the girl stood firm on her decision.
When efforts to bring Kausalya back home failed, her family members allegedly decided to eliminate the couple.
Accordingly, they got in touch with P. Jagadeesan of Dindigul who arranged mercenaries to murder Sankar and his wife. Kausalya’s father Chinnasamy gave an advance of Rs. 50,000 to Jagadeesan and also gave his motorcycle to commit the offence.
According to sources privy to the charge sheet, the accused planned the conspiracy in a children’s park on the Palani-Kodaikanal Road and then stayed in a lodge in Palani. On the day of the crime, one of the accused went to Komaralingam village to keep track of Sankar’s movements.
When the couple boarded a bus to Udumalpet, he got into the vehicle and informed others about their movement, the sources said referring to details in the charge-sheet.
Five assailants closely followed the couple and attacked them when they were waiting to cross the road. They abused Sankar on caste lines while hacking him with knives.
While Sankar died on the way to hospital, Kausalya was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital with grievous injuries. She recovered later.
Besides murder, attempt to murder, unlawful assembly with deadly weapons, the police invoked provisions under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, against some of the accused.
Published - May 02, 2016 12:00 am IST
