THANJAVUR/MADURAI: Three more men, all caste Hindus, have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 19-year-old girl, Iswarya, allegedly for marrying a Dalit.
The arrested have been identified as K Chinrasu (30), R Thiruselvam (39) and T Murugesan (34), all from Neivaviduthi. They were produced before a Pattukkottai court on Friday and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days. P Perumal (50) and Roja (45), parents of Iswarya, were arrested on January 10.
Meanwhile, ‘Evidence’ executive director Kathir on Friday urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to enact a special law to curb honour killing, and form a special investigation team comprising personnel from another state to investigate the case.
Addressing reporters, Kathir said ‘Evidence’ has found several lapses in the probe, including police failing to produce the couple in the court following inter-caste marriage, and handing over the girl to her parents.
He claimed that though Iswarya’s body was carried for a distance of one km through the village, no one questioned them. “We believe, the entire village is in favour of honour killing.
All the people who were directly or indirectly connected with the killing must be arrested. In 2018, the Supreme Court had issued 21 guidelines for handling honour killing cases. “However, Tamil Nadu government has failed to follow the guidelines and negligence on the part of Palladam police caused the death of the girl. As per field inspection carried out by ‘Evidence’, as many as 24 incidents of honour killing happened in Tamil Nadu from 2021 to 2023,” Kathir said.
He also urged the state to provide full security to Iswarya’s husband Naveen and his family. “A few witnesses gave their confession statement in the case. Their statements must be registered under CrPC 164. Or else, they may turn hostile witness in the near future,” he added.
Iswarya of Neivaviduthi, who was working in a hosiery unit in Tiruppur, got married to Naveen on December 31. Perumal and his relatives, who opposed the alliance filed a girl-missing case in Palladam police station on January 2 and brought her back. Sources said Perumal and his relatives murdered Iswarya and cremated the body on January 3.