College student killed for spending time with girlfriend in Trichy moral policing case

Tamilvanan, 21, an engineering student, was violently attacked by a gang of four men near Siruganur in Trichy district on Monday.

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In a shocking case of moral policing, a 21-year-college student was murdered on Monday by a gang of four men after he was found in a secluded spot with his girlfriend near Siruganur in Trichy district, according to police. While initial reports suggested that the 20-year-old woman with him had been sexually harassed, the police maintain that the gang, who belonged to the local area, had only warned her before leaving the spot.

According to the police, the victim, Tamilvanan, was a student at K Ramakrishnan college of engineering in Trichy. He and his girlfriend had previously studied together. She is currently a nursing student while he was pursuing engineering. On Monday evening around 7 pm, they had both gone to a forested area about 20 kilometres from his college to spend some time together when the murder took place.

"This was a case of moral policing. The couple was merely looking for some alone time when these four men came and picked up a fight with them. The boy then fought back verbally and one of the men stabbed in the thigh," says Trichy Superintendent of Police Ziaul Haque, who visited the scene of crime. "They then left after telling the couple to leave. But the girl wasn't sure what to do at that point and delayed calling the ambulance. By the time the ambulance arrived, the accused had come again to ask why they had not left the spot," he adds.

Since the spot where the crime occurred was far removed from the closest hospital, Tamilvanan was left to bleed for far too long, and succumbed to the wound inflicted on him. The nursing student meanwhile gave her statement to the police and said the attackers were all around 25 years old.

"I personally visited the site. And now we have formed three teams of some of my best inspector and constables to find the accused," says the SP. "A case of murder has been registered based on the woman's statement."