On Friday, a 27-year-old Dalit woman was hacked to death in front of her toddler in a suspected case of honour killing. The woman's brother, a railway employee, had allegedly eloped with a caste Hindu girl.

A report in The New Indian Express states that Kalpana was visiting her parents when someone came to the house asking for drinking water. When she came out with a glass of water, the person attacked her with a sickle. She tried to escape, but died on the street, adds the daily.

Kalpana’s husband Sargunam has told the daily that her younger brother was missing since May 3. The family was making efforts to look for him when a man Sankaranarayanan from Thatchanallur came to their house asking about his daughter.

Sargunam said it was only then that they realised that the girl was also missing. Sankaranarayanan reportedly threatened them with dire consequences, after which Sargunam filed a petition with the Tirunelveli police on May 5 asking for protection. He told the daily, “If the police had taken proper steps to protect the family, I would not have lost my wife.”

Murugan, the district president of Devandrakula Vellalar Koottamaipu, has stated that this was a case of honour killing. “The caste Hindu family refused to accept their daughter’s love, and murdered his sister in retaliation. This is yet another instance of Dalit oppression,” he was quoted as saying.