Honour killing in India: Man kills son and mother over son's marriage to lower-caste woman in Tamil Nadu

Subhash and Kannammal
born: 1998, 1958
stabbed to death: 14 April 2023
Residence: Krishnagar, Tamil Nadu
Origin: India
Children: -
Perpetrator: Dhandapani

In a shocking incident in Tamil Nadu, a man murdered his son and mother because his son was married to a woman from a lower caste and his mother supported her grandson.

The culprit was identified as Dhandapani. According to police, his son Subhash (25), an employee in a garment factory in Tiruppur, had a relationship with Anusha, a member of the lowest caste. Subhash married Anusha on March 27, despite his father's disapproval.

Later, Subhash changed jobs and joined a private finance company in Thirupattur. Dhandapani was angry at his son for marrying a Dalit woman against his will, and asked his mother, who supported her grandson's marriage, to invite them home for the Tamil New Year and told her he wanted to repair the relationship, police said.

Subhash and Anusha traveled to their hometown for the first time since their marriage and stayed at Subhash's grandmother's house. In the middle of the night, while they were sleeping, Dhandapani stormed the house and attacked them with sharp objects. Subhash and his grandmother Kannammal die on the spot. Anusha ends up in the intensive care unit of a hospital and survives.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.