A young IT professional was murdered in a suspected caste-motivated “honour killing” in India on Sunday evening.
Kavin Selva Ganesh, 27, was allegedly hacked to death by his partner’s brother in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, local media reported.
Ganesh had visited his partner, identified by police as Subhashini, at her traditional medicine clinic in Tirunelveli town to consult about his grandfather’s health.
Subhashini’s brother, S Surjit, allegedly lured him outside and on to a secluded stretch around 200 metres from the clinic, and attacked him with a sickle.
“He threw chilli powder on Kavin’s face after which he started running,” the victim’s mother, S Tamilselvi, said in her complaint to police, according to Deccan Herald. “But Surjith chased him and hacked him to death.”
Ganesh, who worked for the multinational IT company Tata Consultancy Services in the state capital of Chennai, belonged to the Devendra Kula Vellalar community, a historically marginalised group under the rigid Hindu caste system. The community is listed among the Scheduled Castes in the Indian government’s classification. Subhashini is from the Maravar community, a socially dominant caste in Tamil Nadu that falls under the “Most Backward Classes” category, denoting a higher status in the caste hierarchy than “Scheduled Castes”.
Although both groups are officially considered socially and economically disadvantaged, the Maravar community holds more local influence and status.
The couple’s relationship had reportedly drawn disapproval and repeated threats from Subhashini’s family members who opposed it out of caste pride.
“The victim and the accused’s sister were schoolmates and had known each other for a long time,” an unnamed local police officer told Hindustan Times. “The woman’s family had objected to their relationship.”
Subhashini’s father S Saravanan and her mother Krishnakumari are both serving police inspectors, according to The Hindu.
Tamilselvi also said in her complaint that Subhashini’s family had given multiple threats to her son in the past. The Times of India reported that Subhashini’s family had previously approached local police to warn Ganesh off but no formal action was taken.
Surjit was arrested after he surrendered on Monday. He was charged along with his parents under relevant sections of the criminal code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Saravanan and Krishnakumari are reportedly absconding.
Terming his son’s murder a “caste killing”, Ganesh’s father alleged that it was instigated by Subhashini's parents. “The woman asked my son to come to the hospital. The accused took my son out, threw chilli powder on his face and pulled out a machete to kill him,” Chandrashekar told Hindustan Times.
“The government should immediately expel his mother and father from service. We will protest and not take my son’s body unless action is taken against them.”
