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The Mayiladuthurai police on Wednesday, September 17, arrested Vijaya, in connection with the murder of K Vairamuthu, a Dalit man. Vairamuthu had been in a relationship with Vijaya’s daughter Malini and Vijaya had allegedly strongly objected to the relationship.
Twenty-eight-year-old Vairamuthu from the Paraiyar community was hacked to death in Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai district late on Monday, September 15, for being in a relationship with Malini, the daughter of an intercaste couple.
While Malini’s father belonged to the same Paraiyar community, her mother Vijaya belonged to the Chettiar community (categorised as Backward Class).
Those arrested include Vijaya, her son Gugan (21), Anbunithi (19), and Bhaskar (42). Police said all except Vijaya belong to the Scheduled Caste community. Vijaya has been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Efforts are on to trace two more suspects, and the case has been handed over to Sub-Divisional Police Officer Balaji, The Hindu reported.
According to the Mayiladuthurai SP G Stalin, the murder of Vairamuthu was not a ‘caste killing.’ “Vijaya resented Vairamuthu’s economic status. She felt agitated as Malini chose to marry him against a match of her choice,” the SP was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Vairamuthu was a diploma holder in DME and a two-wheeler mechanic from Adiyamangalam village, while Malini was an MBA graduate employed in Chennai.
On September 14, the couple had approached the police seeking their protection. At the meeting, Malini reportedly asserted her decision to marry Vairamuthu, even moving in with him after her family disowned her. Malini’s family also gave a written statement to the police that they would not interfere in the marriage.
However, the next day, Vairamuthu was waylaid and killed.