TN woman sets daughter on fire allegedly over relationship with Dalit youth

Angered by her 17-year-old daugther's relationship with a Dalit youth, a woman in Nagapattinam district set the girl on fire before immolating herself on Tuesday. While teen succumbed to the burn injuries, her mother is still undergoing treatment.

According to investigating officials, Janani, the daughter, was a class 11 student from a Backward Community (BC). While her mother Uma Maheshwar is a daily wage worker, her father Kannan is a carpenter. Police allege that Janani was in a relationship with a Dalit youth from her village Vazhmangalam. She had already attempted to leave the house with him before but was brought back by her parents.

On Tuesday however, Janani and her mother got into a fresh argument over her relationship because she was to turn 18 later this month, and said she could not be stopped from leaving then.

"Angered by this, her mother poured kerosene on the girl and then on herself and lit the fuel on fire," says an investigating official. "The girl is dead due to severe burns. And the mother is very critical as well. She is unlikely to survive," he adds.

The officer says information on the relationship was given to the police by the neighbours and relatives. While reports suggest that the Dalit youth was questioned in connection to the case, the investigating official denies this.

"He had nothing to do with the murder itself. There is no need to bring him into this," says the official.

A case has been registered in the Thittacheri Police Station. The girl and her mother had been rushed to the Nagapattinam government hospital for treatment. As of now, police have registered an FIR with section 302 (Punishment for murder) against the mother. Further investigation are underway to glean if the girl's father was aware of the mother's plans.