Father who stabbed daughter to death acquitted by Ker court

A court here on Tuesday acquitted a man who had stabbed his daughter to death in 2018 in a suspected case of honour killing on the eve of her wedding, angered over her getting married to a Dalit youth. The Manjeri Additional Sessions court ordered the acquittal of the accused Rajan, as the prime witnesses-- the victim's mother and brother, turned hostile.

According to the prosecution, Rajan, a native of Poovathinkkandi at nearby Areekode, had murdered his daughter Athira(22) on her wedding eve, on March 22, 2018. He had been critical of her love affair with Brijesh, a Dalit youth, who was in the Defence force.

However, he agreed to the wedding after police intervened in the matter after Athira eloped with her lover. The marriage was to be held at a temple in Areekode on March 23. But Rajan came home drunk and picked up a quarrel with his daughter before stabbing her to death and also burnt all her wedding clothes.

Though Athira was rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.