Inter-caste relation: Cops probing ‘suicide’ of youth

Madurai: A 19-year-old thevar youth from Vikramangalam near Usilampatti, who was in a relationship with a dalit woman, allegedly died by suicide on July 6, but his family cremated the body without informing police.

Police are probing multiple angles after registering a case under section 211 of BNS for keeping them in the dark.The deceased, Jegadeesh, belonged to thevar community, while the 18-year-old woman belonged to a scheduled caste community. Police said both were college students. While the woman had attained the legal age of 18, the youth was not 21, making them ineligible to marry legally. The couple eloped on June 26 and returned on June 29, seeking refuge at Uthapanayakanur police station before informing the parents of both.

Since the youth had not attained the legal marriageable age, the families reportedly separated them, promising to arrange the marriage after he turned 21. The woman was sent to a govt hostel in Usilampatti while the boy went with his parents.However, on Monday (July 6), the youth allegedly died by hanging near the foothills of Usilampatti. Subsequently, his parents cremated the body without informing police.Meanwhile, A Kathir, executive director of the NGO Evidence, raised suspicions over the youth’s death. In a social media post, he said the fact that the body was cremated without informing anyone has raised strong suspicions. He urged the chief minister’s intervention to enact a separate law against caste killings.