27-Year-Old Man Murdered in Kerala in Suspected Caste Killing

Aneesh got married to Haritha three months ago and there had allegedly been threats to his life after that.

(Image: The News Minute)

In a suspected caste killing, 27-year-old Aneesh, who got married three months ago, was allegedly killed by his wife’s relatives in Palakkad on Friday, 24 December, evening. The police have taken the slain man’s father-in-law, Prabhu Kumar of Kuzhalmannam, and wife’s uncle, Suresh, into custody.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under Sections 302 (Murder) and 34 (Criminal act done by several persons) at the Kuzhalmannam police station.

Aneesh, a painter, married Haritha three months ago. There were allegedly threats to his life after the wedding. According to the police, he belongs to the Kollan community, which comes under Other Backward Classes (OBC) while Haritha belongs to a dominant caste.

Asianet News reports that Aneesh was from Thenkurissi, a village in Palakkad. His father-in-law Prabhu Kumar was reportedly caught from a relative's house in Coimbatore, where he had absconded to. Suresh was nabbed on Friday.

An officer from the Kuzhalmannam police station said that the bride's father and uncle are suspected to be the assailants. Aneesh was waylaid while he was riding a bike and attacked. The arrests were made on the basis of the statements made by Arun, Aneesh's brother, who was on the bike with him when the incident happened.

Arun told Asianet News that both Prabhu Kumar and Suresh murdered Aneesh with a machete and a rod. He reportedly said that Aneesh was struck with the rod while he was riding the bike and then killed with the machete. The assailants rode a motorbike, he said. The attack took place in Manam Kalabam.

Aneesh passed away en route to the hospital.

In 2018, Kevin P Joseph, a Dalit Christian man, was abducted and allegedly killed by his wife Neenu's family in Kottayam, hours after the young couple had registered their marriage. In November the same year, a Kottayam court had observed that it was a case of honour killing. In August 2019, 10 people, including Neenu's brother Shanu Chacko, were found guilty of the murder while Chacko, Neenu's father, was acquitted.

(The article was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.