CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai has strongly condemned the death of 20-year-old Dalit youth R Hariharan in Pudukkottai, alleging that it could be a case of caste-based killing linked to a relationship.

In a tweet on X, he xpressed shock over the incident and urged that the case be investigated under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and relevant criminal provisions, including abetment to suicide if applicable.

According to media reports, Hariharan, an undergraduate student from Nadupatti in Kulathur taluk, had gone missing on April 21. Few days later, his body was found in a quarry in Thirumalairayapuram and sent for post-mortem examination at the Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital. Based on a complaint filed at Vellanur police station, police initially registered a case of suicide.

However, the victim’s family has alleged that he was murdered by family members of the girl he was romantically involved with, citing caste differences, and has demanded that the case be altered to murder. They have also called for a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Meanwhile, Selvaperunthagai also stressed that caste-based violence against youth is a serious threat to social justice and equality, and called on the State government to take stringent action against those responsible while ensuring measures to prevent such incidents in the future.