Manjeri, Malappuram: A court here on Tuesday acquitted a man who had allegedly stabbed his daughter to death in 2018 in a suspected case of honour killing on the eve of her wedding, angered over her getting married to a Dalit youth.

The Manjeri Additional Sessions court ordered the acquittal of the accused Rajan, as the prime witnesses - the victim's mother and brother - turned hostile.

According to the prosecution, Rajan, 44, a native of Poovathinkkandi at nearby Areekode, had murdered his daughter Athira, 22, on her wedding eve, on March 22, 2018.

He had been critical of her love affair with Brijesh, a Dalit youth, who was a soldier from Panthalayani. However, he agreed to the wedding after police intervened in the matter after Athira eloped with her lover.

The marriage was to be held at a temple in Areekode on March 23. But Rajan, who came home in an inebriated condition, picked up a quarrel with his daughter before stabbing her to death and also burnt all her wedding clothes.

Though Athira was rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.

According to the police, nobody else in the family had any objection to her marriage.

Athira was working as a paramedical staff at the Manjeri Medical College Hospital. Athira and Brijesh met when the latter came to a hospital for the treatment of his mother, Valli. They fell in love, but Athira's father was against the relationship.

"I thought it would bring disgrace to my family if my daughter were to marry a a guy from the Dalit community," Rajan reportedly told the police.

Brijesh had alleged that the police failed to provide security to Athira. He said cops were informed that Athira faced threat from her father, but they failed to protect her.

(With PTI inputs)