CUDDALORE: Relatives of a 40-year-old Dalit woman, whose dead body was found tied to a tree at Sriraman village near Srimushnam on Saturday evening, alleged that the deceased was raped and murdered by caste Hindu men, including a 45-year-old widower with whom she allegedly had a relationship for the past two years.
One of the victim’s neighbours told TNIE that the woman and one Palani (45), a widower from nearby village, were in a relationship. Palani’s sons Muthuvel, Ajith Kumar and Seth were against this, especially because she was a Dalit.“Five months ago, Muthuvel and Ajith tied the woman to a lamppost, beat her up and hurled caste slurs. Yet, the couple did not break up,” the neighbour alleged.
An investigating officer attached to the Srimushnam police station rubbished the villagers’ claims. “On Saturday noon, the victim went to take bath near a village temple, where she borrowed another woman’s phone and called Palani. She asked him to reach there with some liquor, but he refused,” the officer said
“Doctors who conducted the autopsy confirmed there were no injury marks on her body, and it might be a case of suicide. We also took Palani into custody for an inquiry on Saturday,” he added.
Commenting on the police remarks, the victim’s kin said she did not have a habit of consuming liquor. “We request the police to conduct a fair inquiry,” they pleaded.