Jilted men and the ‘stab’ of love

A young teacher was killed inside a church in Thoothukudi and two college girls - one in Tiruchi and another in Puducherry, were attacked within 48 hours.

A day after a Karur college girl was murdered inside her classroom by a senior whom she had spurned, the murder of a school teacher and attacks on two college girls by men who were pursuing them rocked Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry.

While 24-year-old schoolteacher N. Francina, who was due to get married in a few days, was brutally murdered inside a church in Thoothukudi on Wednesday morning, a college girl in Tiruchi was stabbed in public by a youth with whom she had a broken relationship and in Puducherry, a jilted lover slashed a college girl’s wrist on the road.

Thoothukudi

According to police, Francina, a resident of Indira Nagar on George Road, was indiscriminately attacked with an

aruval by J. Keegan (27), a crane operating assistant, around 8.30 am when she had gone to offer prayers at a church which is closer to the school where she was working. Leaving the victim in a pool of blood, he fled the scene and moments later entered a house that was under renovation on Manal Street and hanged himself to death. Incidentally, Francina was to be relieved from duty at the school on Wednesday as she had resigned her five-year-old job following her betrothal.

Based on preliminary inquiries, police said the accused was pursuing Francina but she had spurned him. “Two years ago, he used to follow her but she had ignored him. Some time ago, some neighbours of the victim had warned him to stop chasing her. A week ago, upon learning that she was engaged, he managed to get her phone number and contacted her. But Francina’s mother reprimanded him,” a police officer said.

While a parishioner told

The Hindu that he had seen the assailant wearing a red-coloured T-Shirt running away from the church, police are poring through visuals recorded in CCTV cameras installed at two locations inside the church to conclusively establish that it was Keegan who killed her.

“Francina was a calm-natured person. She usually avoids going alone but today she wanted to go to the church,” said her aunt Fathima.

Tiruchi

Allegedly upset that his proposal has been spurned, a man stabbed a college girl on the outskirts of Tiruchi on Wendesday. The assailant, identified as Balamurugan, a marketing executive, attempted suicide after the incident.

A third-year B.Sc. Microbiology student of a private college in Tiruchi, 21-year-old R. Monica was attacked moments after she alighted from a bus at Bikshandarkoil in the evening. She sustained multiple stab injuries and was admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Government Hospital in the city.

According to her father N. Ravi, who works as a head constable at the Airport Police Station in the city, Monica had alighted from the bus and was on her way home when she was stabbed from behind by Balamurugan.

The girl was immediately shifted to the Tiruchi Government Hospital by a 108 ambulance. Police said initially Monica and Balamurugan had an affair but after her parents disapproved of it, she stopped speaking to him. Mr. Ravi said he had clearly told Balamurugan not to follow his daughter.

The Kollidam police are investigating. Incidentally, the victim’s mother, Fathima is a sub-inspector in the Tiruchi Cantonment All Women Police Station.

Soon after attacking her, Balamurugan reportedly consumed poison and was taken to a private hospital in Tiruchi, where he was administered first aid. He was subsequently shifted to the Tiruchi Government Hospital.

Puducherry A 19-year-old girl was attacked by a youth near the campus of a private medical college and hospital in Oussudu on Tuesday after she spurned him. He slashed the girl’s wrist and fled away.

Police said Hanodonis, a first-year student, was in a relationship with the accused, Ezhilarasan (19) of Iyyankuttipalayam. Hanodonis lived with her parents in the quarters of the private medical college and hospital.

The girl had a misunderstanding with Ezhilarasan and stopped talking to him. He confronted her several times and tried to talk to her.

The girl informed her parents, who lodged a complaint with the police. The police warned Ezhilarasan and let him off.

On Tuesday, the girl was returning home from college and Ezhilarasan tried to stop her near the private medical college and hospital. When Hanodonis did not respond, the accused whipped out a knife, attacked her and fled. Locals heard the girl’s scream and rushed her to the hospital where her condition was reported to be stable.

The police have registered a case and launched a search for Ezhilarasan who is absconding.

(With inputs from S. Prasad in Puducherry and J. Praveen Paul Joseph in Thoothukudi)