Picture used for representational purpose only

COIMBATORE: A 27-year-old autorickshaw driver was beaten to death by the relatives of his 16-year-old lover when he entered her house to meet her at Ekkattur area near Pallipalayam in Namakkal district on the early hours of Sunday.

The deceased was identified as K Dharmaraj, of Perumparai in Pallipalayam. According to police, the minor girl, a Class IX dropout, was employed with a spinning mill at Pallipalayam. “The two fell in love and Dharmaraj used to visit the minor girl at her house at night. When the girl’s parents came to know about the affair, they advised her not to meet him. They also told her that they could not accept the affair as Dharmaraj belonged to a different caste,” said an investigation officer.

However, the duo continued their relationship with Dharmaraj visiting her at her house at night. On Sunday at 2am, Dharmaraj, along with his friend Ezhumalai, came to the girl’s house. He made his friend wait outside and entered the house through the backdoor, where he was caught red-handed by the girl’s parents and relatives. Dharmaraj attempted to escape, but in vain. The girl’s relatives beat him up severely using wooden logs. Ezhumalai, meanwhile, fled.

Dharmaraj succumbed to head injuries on the spot and the girl’s relatives dumped the body in an isolated place located near the house. Local people, who spotted the body, alerted the Pallipalayam police, who sent the body to the government hospital for postmortem.

When Dharmaraj’s relatives came to know about the incident, they staged a road roko at Pallipalayam bus stand, demanding police to take action against his murderers. Police pacified them and assured to bring the murderers to justice.

“The body was handed over to his family members after the autopsy. We are conducting inquiry with the girl’s parents and five other relatives. We will arrest the murderers on Monday,” said M Shanmugam, deputy superintendent of police, Tiruchengode sub-division.

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