A 21-year-old Kerala woman was stabbed and killed while trying to save her mother from a neighbour who was attacking her. According to the police, deceased Abhirami's family, living at Uliyakovil in Kollam, and the family of the accused man used to have a dispute over sewage water flowing into the former’s compound. Umesh Babu, the 62-year-old man, who stabbed Abhirami has been taken into police custody.
The attack took place at around 11 pm on Thursday when Abhirami's mother Leena was going out of their house to another neighbour's home. "He (Umesh) was standing outside with the phone apparently taking videos of Abhirami's mother when she came out. When she started to raise questions, he slashed her around the neck and dragged her to one side of the road. She then called out Ammu (to Abhirami)..and when she came running out of the house and tried to save her mother, she was stabbed in the stomach,” a neighbour of the families told Mathrubhumi News. The woman added that though some of them suddenly rushed to the scene hearing Abhirami's cries, when they came out, Umesh's wife Shakunthala attacked them.
"That woman pelt stones at us when we came out. Abhirami was falling to the ground by the time. Even when we tried to let go of them, both the man and the woman (Umesh and Shakunthala) were grasping tightly to her," said the neighbour who witnessed the incident.
The houses of both the families are located opposite each other across a road. According to neighbours, sewage water from Umesh Babu's house used to flow onto the road and then enter Abhirami's house premises. Following Abhirami's death, neighbours told the media that recently she had questioned Umesh and had closed the opening through which sewage water was being let out.
Police have taken Shakunthala and their 20-year-old daughter Sowmya who was also allegedly with her parents into custody.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, Abhirami succumbed to her injuries. Abhirami's mother Leena is under treatment at Kollam Medical College Hospital. Umesh is also reported to have sustained some injuries.
Officials at Kollam East Police told TNM that the arrest of the accused persons has not yet been registered as the medical examination was yet to be complete. Police also said that both families had been having a dispute over the sewage issue.
Watch video: Neighbours talking about the attack