Thoothukudi Honour Killing: Victim’s father alleges conspiracy, demands arrest of accused’s parents
Thoothukudi: C Chandrasekar, the father of 26-year-old C Kavin Selva Ganesh, who was allegedly murdered in a suspected honour killing in Thoothukudi, has accused the parents of the prime accused of being part of a larger conspiracy and demanded their immediate arrest.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Chandrasekar said justice would be served only when the parents of the accused, Surjith, are taken into custody. “We will get justice only when both the parents of the girl are arrested, as they have also conspired in the honour killing,” he said.
Recalling the close relationship between his son and Priya (name changed), Chandrasekar said the two had known each other since their school days in Class 11 and 12, and had continued to stay in touch after school. “They were in a relationship for a couple of years. She had visited our house in Bryant Nagar and even spoken to my wife over the phone,” he added.
Chandrasekar alleged that Kavin’s mother, a government school teacher, had received threatening phone calls from a woman claiming to be the girl’s mother, warning them to stop the relationship. “She even threatened that Kavin’s mother would be hit by a car,” he said. According to him, Surjith, the accused, had earlier interacted with Kavin and was aware of the relationship.
Although the family had once advised Kavin to end the relationship, Chandrasekar said the couple continued to remain in touch. “She reassured him of her commitment. We have chat records and photos to prove this,” he said, dismissing claims that the relationship was one-sided.
He further alleged that the girl’s family played an active role in the murder. “It was she who called Kavin on Sunday, asking him to come under the pretext of checking her grandfather’s medical records. That’s why he went to meet them,” he said.
Raising concerns about the way the investigation is being carried out, Chandrasekar accused the local police of caste bias. “Many in the Tirunelveli police force belong to the same Most Backward Class (MBC) community as the accused. Had the accused belonged to our Devendra Kula Velalar (DKV) community, the police would have used violence and claimed he slipped in the bathroom. Surjith is being shielded because of his community and his parents’ links to the police department,” he alleged.
Kavin’s uncle, M Esakkimuthu, also demanded a high-level probe monitored by a magistrate. He criticised Palayamkottai Inspector Kasipandian for allegedly delaying the registration of the FIR and handling the complaint in a casual manner.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
