Kottayam: Kerala can no longer escape the infamy of honour killings which are rife in the northern parts of the country. The latest such incident reported from the southern state on Monday is the second to be reported this year.
Two months ago a girl, Athira, from Areekode in Malappuram district was killed by her father, just before her marriage to a man from a lower caste. Further south, in Kottayam, another youth was killed on Sunday after he was abducted by a gang. In this case, a Christian boy was the victim. Reports say, his lover's family objected to his affair with the girl as he belonged to a financially weaker community.
Athira and Brijesh
Athira and Brijesh met when the latter came to a hospital for the treatment of his mother Valli. The girl had been working at a private dialysis centre. They fell in love and Athira's family was against the relationship. When Athira's father objected to the wedding, police intervened to mediate and decided to conduct the ceremonies. The 22-year-old girl was stabbed to death by her father, on the eve of her wedding. According to reports, the girl was killed following a verbal spat between the father and the daughter. Police arrested Athira's father Rajan.
Ironically, Rajan was not against love marriage and had married Athira's mother in another love marriage. What irked him was Brijesh's caste. On the eve of Athira's wedding, Rajan burnt her wedding dress and said that he would finish her. Though Athira called up Brijesh to rescue her from the house, he pacified her, thinking things would turn better. Unfortunately, the worst happened and he lost her before their wedding.
Kevin and Neenu
Kevin and Neenu were in a relationship for three years. When Neenu's family tried to marry her off to another man, she left the house and decided to live with her lover. At police station, Neenu was attacked by her relatives, who forcefully tried to take them back. However, the move to take her away was stopped by the locals and she was eventually shifted to a ladies' hostel.
Kevin was staying with his cousin Aneesh at his house at Mannanam. Both of them were abducted in a car by a gang of goons and Neenu arrived at the police station to complain that her husband was abducted. However, the police allegedly told her that there was chief minister's programme in the district and her complaint could be considered after it was over.
A petition from Kevin's father Joseph Jacob was also not accepted. Case was registered after the abduction news was reported by the media. The police allegedly contacted the goons and soon Aneesh was released. Police have registered case against 10 people including Neenu's brother Shanu Chacko, in connection with Kevin's murder.
In February, three incidents of honour killing were reported in two days in Haryana. A BA final-year student was allegedly kiled and secretly cremated by her father and kin in Jhajjar district. While a teenager was killed by the brother and friends of his girl friend in Mahendergarh district, a 26-year-old man was shot dead by the brothers of his lover hours before their wedding in Sonipat district.