Following yet another brutal ‘honour’ killing in Tamil Nadu, the mother’s victim has approached Director General of Police (DGP) Sandeep Rai Rathore for justice. The victim, Subash (21), from the Scheduled Caste Pallar community, was killed in Sengottai, Tenkasi district, on April 16. His mother, Leela, submitted a complaint to the DGP on May 26.
So-called honour killings refer to the murders of individuals in inter-caste relationships. In Subash’s case, he had been in contact with a 16-year-old Maravar (OBC) girl. Maravars belong to the politically powerful Thevar caste cluster that also includes Kallars and Agamudaiyars.
The accused have been identified as Marichelvam (27) and Dhanasankar (24), both from the Maravar community, and a 17-year-old boy belonging to another caste.
According to the FIR, the investigating officer’s (IO) action taken report and Leela’s account to the DGP, the three accused drew Subash into a verbal altercation on May 15 for speaking to a Maravar girl.
At around midnight on May 16, Dhanasankar phoned Subash saying he needed to speak with him. Subash then went to the road leading from Sengottai to Kannupulimettu, where all three accused were waiting for him.
The accused allegedly abused Subash with casteist slurs before torturing and hacking him to death with a sickle. They then tied stones to Subash’s body and attempted to drown it in a disused well.
Subash lived with his parents, Leela and Saami, in Bengaluru and all three had been visiting their hometown of Sengottai for a family function.
At first, a missing person’s case was filed after Subash failed to return home. Police later retrieved his body based on a confession from the 17-year-old accused.
The action taken report notes that Tenkasi Inspector Sivaramakrishnan interrogated the juvenile accused at his home in the presence of his parents. The boy allegedly confessed to committing the murder along with Marichelvam and Dhanasankar because Subash, a Dalit man, had been speaking to a Maravar girl.
The report goes on to say that the juvenile accused led the police to the disused well in which they had attempted to hide Subash’s body. Dhanasankar also allegedly confessed to the crime after his arrest. Based on his confession, the murder weapon – a wooden-handled sickle – was recovered, the report adds.
During their investigation, police also allegedly found liquor bottles, blood-splattered stones and sand at the crime scene, which have been sent for forensic investigation.
A case has now been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 103(1) (punishment for murder) and 238 (evidence tampering) and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. All three accused have been arrested and remanded.
Apart from her letter to the DGP, Leela has also submitted petitions to Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar and the National Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Commission. Her demands include denial of bail to the accused, filing of chargesheet within two months, and financial aid and protection for the family.
Rising honour killing cases
From 2017 to 2025, there had been 59 honour killings in Tamil Nadu, as TNM previously reported.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was in power from 2011 to May 2021. The numbers saw a significant jump during the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) tenure, with 14 murders in 2023 alone. Subash’s killing and another case from earlier this month raise the tally to 61.
Reacting to this dismal data, Dalit rights organisation Evidence’s director Kathir reiterated a long-standing demand in the state: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s government must pass special state legislation to curb honour killings.
Noting that Karnataka’s Legislative Council has already passed a similar law this year, Kathir asked, “Tamil Nadu claims to be a progressive state. What is the hesitation, then?”
He added: “Women, youth, and Dalits are the most affected by honour killings. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) must remember that it is these same three groups who helped them win.”
Over the years, despite repeated demands from victims’ families, activists, and political parties like the Communist Party of India-Marxist [CPI(M)] and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), no adequate efforts to pass such legislation have been made.
“In the last nine years, seven judgements from various SC/ST special courts in Tamil Nadu have strongly recommended a special act to curb honour killings. The state government’s role is to listen to such recommendations and introduce policies that protect people,” Kathir said.
In 2022, he submitted a people’s draft bill against honour killings to then CM MK Stalin. The bill was drafted by the Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network — a coalition of anti-caste organisations headed by Evidence.
In October 2025, the DMK finally set up a commission headed by retired judge KN Basha. The commission was tasked with identifying measures to prevent honour killings. At the time, the DMK also promised to bring in special legislation based on the commission’s recommendations.
In March this year, Kathir and honour-killing survivor and anti-caste activist Kowsalya met the KN Basha Commission in Chennai. They presented case-related documents, including FIRs, for all 59 honour killings, at least 50 verdicts from other such cases, and details on national-level measures.
However, there is no clarity at present if the TVK government will dissolve the Commission or ask it to continue its work.