For marrying a Dalit, man slits daughter's throat in police station

CHENNAI: A man was arrested for slitting the throat of his daughter at the Red Hills police station on Monday. He was called to the police station after his daughter, who eloped with a Dalit, requested protection as her family was against the marriage.

S Ezhumalai arrived at the police station with a knife hidden in his trousers and caught everyone by surprise by attacking Kalaivani, his daughter.

Kalaivani, who married P Joshua a week ago, is battling for life at a private hospital. A magistrate court sent Ezhumalai to 15-day custody in the Ponneri sub jail.

Following a complaint by Joshua and Kalaivani that they feared for their lives as her family was against their marriage, Red Hills police inspector K Kumaran called Ezhumalai for talks. "Ezhumalai, a real estate businessman, came to the station dressed in a pair of trousers and shirt. As soon as he entered, he walked towards Kalaivani, pulled out a knife from his pocket and slit her throat," Kumaran said.

Kalaivani, an undergraduate student, fled home on January 21 to get married to Joshua in a city church. She had met Joshua, an employee of a private firm in Ambattur, some 18 months ago through a common friend. Fearing opposition, she did not disclose her relationship to her family and registered her marriage at the sub-registrar's office in Egmore last week.