SC teen found murdered, kin allege honour killing in Tirunelveli district

“Muthaiah was working in a private company in Sanganakulam and was in love with a colleague. The girl had visited our house once and on July 23, she came to our house again.

According to the complaint filed by Muthaiah’s father P Kanniappan, his son was found murdered on the outskirts of Appuvilai village with stab wounds to his stomach, back and neck.

TIRUNELVELI: A 19-year-old Scheduled Caste youth was found murdered at Appuvilai village near Thisayanvilai in Tirunelveli district late on Sunday night. While his parents said the murder of their son, K Muthaiah, was a case of honour killing by his lover’s relatives who belong to a dominant caste, district superintendent of police N Silambarasan rejected the charge.

Thisayanvilai police have registered an FIR under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code and 3 (2) (v) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. According to the complaint filed by Muthaiah’s father P Kanniappan, his son was found murdered on the outskirts of Appuvilai village with stab wounds to his stomach, back and neck.

“Muthaiah was working in a private company in Sanganakulam and was in love with a colleague. The girl had visited our house once and on July 23, she came to our house again. Meanwhile, a relative of the girl, who works in the same company, attempted to attack my son at the workplace on the same day. Muthaiah later dropped the girl at Thisayanvilai bus stand and came home around 4.30pm. He once again went out to see his friend at 8.30pm but did not return home.

As we could not reach him on his phone, we started searching for him. Late on Sunday, we found his body with multiple injuries. Some casteist persons from his lover’s family had murdered my son,” Kanniappan said in his complaint. The Thisayanvilai police have sent Muthaiah’s body to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for postmortem.

Meanwhile, police arrested about 30 people, including a few women, for attempting to stage a protest in front of the district police office in Tirunelveli on Monday demanding arrest of the murderers.

Kanniappan also filed a petition with SP Silambarasan on Monday afternoon. When contacted by TNIE, Silambarasan said Muthaiah’s murder was not a case of honour killing.