THANJAVUR/TIRUPPUR: Vattathikkottai police in Thanjavur district have arrested a caste Hindu man and his wife for allegedly murdering their 19-year-old daughter for marrying a Dalit youth. The accused, identified as P Perumal (50) and Roja (45), were produced before a Pattukkottai court and remanded in police custody for 15 days.
According to police sources, Perumal brought his daughter Iswarya back from Tiruppur on the night of January 2 and physically assaulted her for marrying B Naveen, a Scheduled Caste youth from the neighbouring village of Poovalur. Iswarya succumbed to injuries during the early hours of January 3. To cover up the murder, Perumal hung the body from the ceiling in order to make it appear like a suicide, sources said.
In an attempt to destroy evidence, Perumal, along with relatives, took the body to the village cremation ground and performed the last rites. Later, he returned to the cremation ground, collected the bones and discarded them, sources said, adding a few relatives would also face arrest.
Iswarya, employed at a hosiery unit in Tiruppur, married Naveen on December 31. Perumal and his relatives, who opposed the marriage, filed a missing person complaint on January 2. Iswarya was subsequently brought back to her native village. She was murdered on January 3. Following a complaint by Naveen on January 7, the Vattathikkottai police registered a murder case. The arrested couple faces charges of murder and destruction of evidence.
Sada Sivakumar, Thanjavur-Pudukkottai zonal secretary of VCK, met Naveen, currently under police protection. Later he told TNIE that his party has urged the police to expedite the case. Sivakumar also called for legislation to prevent caste-based killings in inter-caste marriages. Meanwhile, Palladam inspector of police C Murugaiah was placed under suspension on Wednesday for “gross negligence” in conducting the investigation.
Highly placed sources in the district police department said an inquiry was launched against Murugaiah following complaints that he and a few other personnel handled the case “in a casual manner and did not take anything seriously”.
Sources said, “During the inquiry, top officers found Murugaiah did not follow the investigation properly and indulge in gross negligence. As a result, he was suspended with immediate effect.” Sources said Murugaiah let the victim Iswariya to go with her parents after tracing her based on a missing complaint filed by them.