COIMBATORE: A 21-year-old woman and her mother were hacked to death by a college student at Palladam in Tirupur district on Tuesday after the family rejected his marriage proposal.
The deceased were identified as P Poovarasi (21) and her mother, Danalakshmi (55), wife of Palanisamy of Pachapalayam.
Police said M Akshayan (22) of Dindigul, a second-year MCA student at a private college in Coimbatore, had acquainted Poovarasi through social media, and they both were subsequently in a relationship. However, Poovarasi's parents strongly opposed the relationship, following which she began avoiding his phone calls.
Police said Akshayan came to Palladam two days ago and followed Poovarasi to locate her residence when she returned from the two-wheeler showroom where she worked.
On Monday, Akshayan went to the family's house and urged Poovarasi's parents to marry her to him. The couple refused his request and asked him to leave.
Again, Akshayan returned to the house on Tuesday morning, leading to an argument over the marriage proposal. During the altercation, he allegedly locked the house from inside, took a sickle from the kitchen and attacked Danalakshmi. When Poovarasi intervened, he attacked her as well. Both women sustained severe injuries and died at the scene.
Hearing their cries, neighbours broke open the rear door of the house and apprehended Akshayan. Police said he was found sitting inside the house, staring at the bodies of the two women.
Police from Palladam police station arrived shortly afterwards and took the accused into custody. The bodies were sent to Tirupur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Tirupur Superintendent of Police Shristi Singh visited the scene and conducted an inquiry. Police have registered a case, and further investigations are on.