In a case of suspected honour killing, a young couple was found hacked to death at their one-bedroom flat in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district on Thursday morning. The woman was three months pregnant.
The victims, Solairajan and his wife A Petchiammal aka Jothi, both aged 24, had met at their workplace and fell in love. This union was supported by Solairajan's parents, who helped them get married. However, Jothi's parents opposed the marriage since they were from different caste, reported The News Minute.
Thoothukudi police have arrested Jothi's father on a complaint filed by the woman's family. It is being claimed that he was threatening the couple since they got married.
"Her father and other men came and threatened us and warned us of violence for the marriage. We went to the police station and complained. They were then warned, so the matter subsided. But now the two of them are gone for no reason," said Karpagam, Muthumari's sister.
While Solairajan belonged to the Parayar community, Jothi belonged to the Pallar community. They come under the Scheduled Caste category.
The duo lived in a one-bedroom apartment. On the morning of July 3, Solairajan's mother Muthumari found them hacked to death in the bedroom.
"When she went inside, they were both lying in a pool of blood. Their heads were hanging off their necks and Jothi's wrists were cut. The worst part is, she (Jothi) was three months pregnant," Karpagam was quoted as saying by TNM.
She lamented how someone could do this to a pregnant woman and added that the entire family was very fond of Jothi. She went on to say that Solairajan was a very hard worker and was the force that held the family together after his father's death.
