Dalit Techie Brutally Killed in Suspected Honour Killing in Tamil Nadu

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A 27-year-old Dalit software engineer, Kavin Selva Ganesh, was hacked to death in Tirunelveli district in what police are treating as an honour killing. The main accused, 21-year-old Surjith, is the younger brother of a woman with whom Kavin reportedly had a long-standing friendship. Surjith has surrendered to the police, while his parents, both serving sub-inspectors, have also been booked for alleged abetment.

Kavin, a resident of Chennai, had known the woman, who belongs to the Most Backward Class (MBC) community, since their school days. Despite objections from the woman’s family, the two remained in contact. On Sunday, Kavin visited her home under the pretext of checking on his grandfather’s health. During this visit, Surjith invited him for a private conversation, which Kavin agreed to.

The two rode to a secluded area in Astalakshmi Nagar, where Surjith allegedly attacked Kavin with a sickle. Kavin attempted to flee but was chased and fatally attacked about 200 metres from a nearby private hospital. He died on the spot from multiple injuries.

Soon after the incident, Surjith turned himself in at a local police station. His parents, Saravanan and Krishnakumari, were later named as co-accused in the case for their alleged role in supporting the crime. Authorities have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Following the incident, protests erupted across Tirunelveli and surrounding districts. Kavin’s family has refused to accept his body, demanding strict action against all accused, including the police officers. They allege that Kavin faced ongoing harassment from the woman’s family and that the police failed to act on previous complaints.

Investigators have collected CCTV footage from the area, and a post-mortem has been conducted at the Tirunelveli Government Hospital. Police sources said further inquiry is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and the extent of involvement of each accused.