KARUR: In a horrific incident, a 22-year-old youth was murdered in broad daylight in front of the Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar temple in Karur on Wednesday allegedly by the relatives of a woman with whom he had reportedly been in a relationship.
Three of the woman’s relatives were arrested and police are looking for two others who are absconding.
Hariharan, the son of Jayaram of Kamarajapuram, worked as a barber in Karur. He had reportedly been in a relationship with a woman from the same area for the past two years.
The couple had met when they were in college and belonged to different communities, Hariharan’s being considered a ‘lower’ caste. Police said that the woman had suddenly stopped talking to Hariharan two weeks ago. Hariharan had repeatedly tried to contact her in vain.
“As he kept on trying to speak with her and resume their relationship, the girl and her relatives asked him to come to the Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar temple to sort out the issue. They had planned to hand him over to the police,” police said.
However, once they started talking, a quarrel broke out with Hariharan and the woman having a heated exchange in front of the temple.
At this point, the woman’s uncle and five other relatives allegedly began stabbing the youth with knives they had brought. Hariharan was grievously injured and taken to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital but died while undergoing treatment, police said.
Karur Town Police filed a case and arrested Shankar, Karthikeyan and Vellaisamy, relatives of the woman. They are looking for two others who are absconding.