Tamil Nadu Dalit techie hacked to death in ‘honour killing’, police couple’s son arrested
The accused, 21-year-old S Surjith, surrendered to police shortly after allegedly attacking Kavin near a private Siddha hospital in KTC Nagar, Tirunelveli, where the woman, Subashini, works as a consultant.
The victim, Kavin Selva Ganesh, was allegedly murdered by the brother of a woman he had been in a long-term relationship with. (Image: @karthikgnath)
A 27-year-old Dalit software engineer was hacked to death in broad daylight on Sunday in what police and family members described as a case of caste-based honour killing. The victim, Kavin Selva Ganesh, was allegedly murdered by the brother of a woman he had been in a long-term relationship with.
The accused, 21-year-old S Surjith, surrendered to police shortly after allegedly attacking Kavin near a private Siddha hospital in KTC Nagar, Tirunelveli, where the woman, Subashini, works as a consultant. Surjith is the son of two police officers — sub-inspectors Saravanan and Krishnakumari — both of whom have also been named as co-accused in the case for allegedly inciting the crime and threatening Kavin in the past.
Kavin, a native of Arumugamangalam in Thoothukudi district and an engineering graduate employed with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Chennai, had maintained contact with Subashini since their school days. According to sources, their relationship was amicable but had faced escalating hostility from the woman’s family, who belong to a Most Backward Class (MBC) community. Kavin’s family, who belong to a Scheduled Caste (SC), say they had been threatened multiple times.
On Sunday, Kavin visited KTC Nagar to consult Subashini about his grandfather’s deteriorating health. There, Surjith allegedly approached him and said their parents wished to speak with him. Trusting Surjith, Kavin got on his two-wheeler and they rode towards Astalakshmi Nagar.
According to Kavin’s mother, S Tamizhselvi, who filed the complaint with the Palayamkottai police, Surjith stopped the vehicle abruptly and shouted at her son, demanding how he could dare love a girl from a different caste. Surjith then reportedly pulled out a sickle hidden on his back and attacked Kavin repeatedly. Eyewitnesses say Kavin attempted to flee, but was chased down and hacked to death barely 200 metres from the hospital.
The police have arrested Surjith and registered a case against him and his parents under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015. CCTV footage from the crime scene has been secured, and the victim’s body was sent for post-mortem at the Tirunelveli Government Hospital.
Kavin’s family has refused to accept his body and is demanding legal action against Surjith’s parents, who they allege were instrumental in the murder. “They objected to the relationship from the beginning and repeatedly harassed my son. Even now, they may use their positions to influence the case,” Tamizhselvi said in her complaint.
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Protests erupted in parts of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, demanding justice and the suspension of the accused police officers.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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