Inter-caste couple killed by kin

In a suspected case of honour killing, an inter-caste couple from Hosur in Krishnagiri district was murdered and their bodies discarded in a water body in neighbouring Karnataka.

The bodies of N Nandesh (25) and Swathi (21), who went missing on November 10, were recovered at the Shivanasamudra falls in Mandya district on Thursday.

Their hands and legs were found tied with wires.   

Based on a complaint by Nandesh’s brother Shanker on November 14, the Hosur Town police registered a missing case and a search was under way since then. Swathi hailed from a different caste and was studying B Com at a private college, while Nandesh, a Dalit was working in a timber shop. They were in love for over a year. “As the girl’s family opposed their relationship, Swathi eloped with Nandesh and got married at a temple in Shoolagiri on August 15 this year. The newly-weds then moved to a rented house at Ram Nagar near Hosur bus stand,” police said.

On November 10, the couple left to visit a relative’s house, but did not return home. Acting on information from Karnataka police, a police team from Hosur Town station confirmed the murdered couple to be from Hosur in Krishnagiri district.

On instructions of Krishnagiri district Superintendent of Police D Mahesh Kumar, a police team held inquiries and found that the couple was kidnapped and brutally killed by the family members of the girl.

The couple was abducted by the girl’s family under the pretext of helping them to live together.

A joint team of police from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have taken into custody girl’s father Srinivasan (40) and two other relatives Venkatesh (43) and Krishnan (26) for inquiry.

A search is on for three others identified as Aswathappa (45) and Venkatraj (25), both relatives to the girl and car driver Saminathan (30).

Police have also taken efforts to bring the body of the deceased couple to Hosur for a post mortem.

As the murder has triggered tension, a large posse of police personnel has been deployed in Hosur to prevent any untoward incidents.