Nandish (left) and Swati

MANDYA: Five days ago, police found the body of a youth floating in the Cauvery near Shivanasamudra, about 135km from Bengaluru. Two days later, the body of a younger woman surfaced at the same spot, triggering suspicion that they had been murdered together. Investigations by Mandya police pointed to a gruesome “honour killing”, allegedly orchestrated by none other than the woman’s father who was enraged with her marriage outside the caste.

Nandish, 26, and Swati, 19, from Tamil Nadu , were in hiding in Karnataka but had been found by her family members. The killers had tied their hands and legs and allegedly thrown them alive into the river. Mandya police shared photos of the bodies with all police stations, including in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Information soon trickled in of the hapless couple.

Nandish and Swati were both residents of Chudagowndanahalli village of Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. They fell in love and decided to marry though they belonged to different castes – Nandish was a Dalit – and their families would never agree to their relationship.

Father admitted to killing daughter, her husband: Cop

They married secretly three months ago and fled from the village. They were living in Hosur and all was going well until November 10 when they decided to attend a public meeting where actor-politician Kamal Haasan was to speak.

A distant relative of Swati was also attending the meeting and he saw the couple. He called her father Srinivasa who was already in Hosur with other relatives, looking for the couple. As soon as the event ended, the couple were surrounded by Srinivasa and others. After a long argument, they convinced the couple to go with them to a police station to sort the matter out.

Duo dumped into river

But they were driven to Shivanasamudra instead where Srinivasa and the others thrashed Nandish, accusing him of humiliating them in the society by marrying their “upper caste” daughter. Around 3am on November 11, as Swati watched, they tied Nandish’s hands and feet and threw him into the river, police said. Swati met the same fate minutes later – her hands and legs tied with her own dupatta.

A senior police officer said Mandya police reached Krishnagiri district as soon as they received the information and arrested Swati’s father. A manhunt is on for the others who helped him kill the couple.

“Srinivasa admitted to killing his daughter and her husband,” a police officer said. “Prime facie, it appears to be an honour killing case. Srinivasa said he was forced to get rid of the couple as there was opposition in the village to the inter-caste marriage. We will bring all the accused to face trial,” the officer said.



In Video: Tamil Nadu couple thrown into river alive in an apparent honour killing