In a shameful incident of alleged honour killing which has sparked an outrage in Kerala, a Dalit Christian man was killed for marrying a girl ‘outside his community’. Kevin P. Joseph, 23, who had married Neenu Chacko, a Roman Catholic was brutally killed allegedly by the girl’s family members. He was abducted from his home in Mannanan in Kottayam district and taken to Thenmala in Kollam where he was held captive. He later died in their custody and his body was found in a canal. Kevin’s relative Aneesh, who was with him during the attack, suffered serious injuries and is now being treated at a hospital.
Neenu is a daughter of an ‘upper class’ inter-religious couple. Her father is a Catholic while her mother is a Muslim. The family was reportedly unhappy with their daughter’s marriage which is why they hatched upon a plan to eliminate him. The boy’s family has also blamed laxity on the part of the police. Meanwhile, 10 people have been arrested in connection with the case
Since 2014, five cases of honour killing have been reported in Kerala, a state which boasts of its high literacy & progressive ethos.
Time to hang our heads in shame!
