Tamil Nadu ‘Honor Killing’: Chargesheet filed in Dalit engineer Kevin’s murder case, girlfriend’s policeman parents among 4 accused
Sub-inspector father and policewoman mother also accused in Kevin’s murder; court declares it a ‘premeditated honor killing’
Chennai: The Crime Branch-CID (CBCID) has submitted its detailed chargesheet to the court in the sensational case of the ‘honor killing’ of Dalit techie Kevin in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. The chargesheet names his girlfriend’s brother as the main accused in the brutal murder of the 23-year-old software engineer.
The investigating agency reiterated that the accused, Surjeet, was deeply upset with his doctor sister’s relationship, which led him to kill Kevin.
Policeman parents also named as accused
CBCID chief T.S. Anbu informed that a total of four people have been charged in the case. These include Surjeet’s father, Saravanan, himself a police sub-inspector, and his mother, Krishnakumari, also a police officer. A relative, Jaipal, has also been named as an accused. The agency submitted its final report to the court on October 22nd, including statements from 69 witnesses and 37 other documents as evidence.
Court’s Strict Comment, Father’s Bail Rejected for the Third Time
Meanwhile, the Additional Sessions Court in Tirunelveli has rejected the bail plea of the accused father, Saravanan, for the third time. The court stated that this was an “open and deliberate honor killing.” The judge also stated that if Saravanan is released, his wife, Krishnakumari (who is also in the police force), could influence witnesses, potentially hampering the ongoing investigation.
The court also noted that Kevin’s iPhone is still locked with facial recognition. Investigators hope that once the phone is accessed, further digital forensic examination may yield further evidence.
What was the whole case?
Kevin, originally from Arumugamangalam in Thoothukudi district, worked as a software engineer at an IT firm in Chennai. The incident occurred in July, when Kevin went to a hospital in Tirunelveli, where his girlfriend worked as a doctor, to treat his grandfather.
It is alleged that Surjeet lured Kevin onto his bike under some pretext and then stabbed him to death with a sharp-edged weapon (a sickle).
Demand for stringent laws against caste-based killings
This brutal murder sparked widespread outrage across the state. Dalit organizations and human rights activists took to the streets demanding justice and calling for stringent laws against caste-based killings.
Given the gravity of the case, the Tamil Nadu government has announced a special law against honor killings. A commission is also being formed to study such crimes and suggest measures to prevent them.
Rajan Chaudhary
Courtesy: Hindi News
