TIRUNELVELI: A 25-year-old youth from a Scheduled Caste community in Tirunelveli has alleged that his 19-year-old lover, who belonged to a forward caste, was murdered by her family which was opposed to their relationship.
However, the girl’s family told police that she allegedly died by suicide. Police have registered a case of ‘suspicious death’ and are waiting for the postmortem report .
The youth, M Anantha Krishnan, who visited police commissionerate to petition commissioner N Manivannan on Monday alleged that the girl was killed on Sunday after her family came to know about their plans to get married.
Addressing media persons, Anantha Krishnan said they had decided to get married at a temple in Shengottai on February 6, and had printed the wedding invitation. He added that a year ago the girl had informed her parents about her wish to marry him, but they strongly opposed it citing his community.
“Recently, we both applied online for unmarried certificates from the revenue department to facilitate registration of our marriage,” Anantha Krishnan said, adding on Sunday, her family came to know about it. “They confiscated her mobile phone and tortured her. She called me from her grandmother’s phone at 11.20 am and again at 12.15 pm, crying and saying that her parents and maternal uncle were threatening to kill her,” he alleged.
According to Anantha Krishnan, around 6 pm he came to know that the girl had died. Claiming that she was in good health and in a sound mental condition, he alleged that her parents and uncle had murdered her to prevent the marriage, and demanded police action against those responsible for her death.
However, the girl’s family claimed that she died by suicide. The police, who are awaiting the postmortem report, have registered a suspicious death case. A police officer said the abetment angle is also being probed.
Sources said the girl’s parents had begun intensive search for a groom for her but she was firm in marrying Anantha Krishnan.
(To overcome suicidal thoughts, contact Tamil Nadu health department’s helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 for counselling )