A 19-year-old girl from the Kallar community, a subgroup of the politically influential Thevar community, was allegedly killed by her family on January 3 because she married a Dalit man. The incident took place in Thanjavur’s Pattukottai.
The victim, Aishwarya — hailing from Pattukottai’s Neyvaviduthi — was in love with 19-year-old Naveen — a Dalit man — from Thanjavur’s Poovaloor village, an Indian Express report said.
Aishwarya’s partner belonged to the Devendra Kula Vellalar — a Scheduled Caste — while she was from the Kallar (backward) community, a dominant caste, also a subgroup of the politically powerful Thevar community.
Aishwarya and Naveen’s love story dates back to their school days, a senior officer involved in the case said. Following the completion of his diploma in mechanical engineering, Naveen got a job in a Tirupur-based garments factory. While, Aishwarya — after completing her higher secondary education — found a job at a power loom, also in Tirupur.
After being in a relationship for over a year and a half, the couple got married on December 31, 2023 at a temple in Avarampalayam, which is located near Coimbatore. “The marriage was not legally valid since Naveen is only 19,” the officer was quoted as saying.
Not knowing the legalities of their marriage, the two rented a house in Tirupur’s Veerapandi area and started a new life as a married couple. However, their new life turned out to be a short-lived one.
The Palladam police, on January 2, while acting on a missing person complaint from Aishwarya’s father — Perumal — picked her up from the couple’s house in Veerapandi area. Naveen went behind them and kept waiting outside the police station.
As per Naveen’s complaint, Perumal and his mates, the same day, reached there around 2 pm and picked Aishwarya from the police station within half an hour.
Following this, Naveen was informed that Aishwarya had agreed to going home with her parents and was asked to not contact her again. Reportedly, Naveen went back to his native place, only to receive the news of Aishwarya’s demise the next morning.
Her relatives allegedly cremated her corpse in a hurry, the report said.
As per the FIR, Aishwarya was found dead in her room on January 3 and Naveen filed a complaint on January 7. He accused Aishwarya’s family of killing her.
Six members of the victim’s family have been detained, including Perumal. Police have registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 (punishment for destroying evidence).
The office of the Tirupur Superintendent of Police said that the girl agreed to go with her parents after a negotiation was held between her and her family in front of the police officers.
It may be so that the local officers might have advised her that — considering her age — she should go with back her parent, while not knowing what’s about to unfold in the coming hours, an officer said.
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