In a suspected case of caste killing in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, a married couple was murdered on the morning of 3 July, in their front yard.
The victims, who belonged to different castes under the Scheduled Castes umbrella, had been married for three months, and the woman was pregnant. The woman's father, Alagar, has been arrested in connection to the crime.
According to the police, Solairaj (24), a salt pan worker from Thanthai Periyar Nagar who belongs to the Parayar community, was in love with his co-worker A Jothi (24), who belonged to the Pallar community.
Owing to the fact that they belong to different castes, Jothi's family opposed their relationship. However, three months ago, the couple got married with the blessings of Solairaj's family. They were living in a one-bedroom house in Solairaj's locality.
On the morning of 3 July, when Solairaj's mother Muthumari, entered their house to check why they were not awake at 6 am, she found their bodies.