In a suspected case of honour killing, a 24-year-old man was hacked to death while his wife, shocked on hearing that he was allegedly murdered by her brother, jumped out of a running bus suffering serious head injuries near here today.
Police said the couple were nurses working at Villupuram Government hospital, 300 km from here, when they fell in love and got married recently despite opposition from the woman's brother as they belonged to different castes.
The woman, Sri Devi, was admitted in a serious condition in a private hospital here early this morning after she jumped from the bus at Melur, 30 km from here, police said.
Furious over the two getting married and living together at Villupuram, the woman's brother had invited her husband, Sankar, for a feast at his native place Dalavaipuram, 85 km from here, last evening. Despite Sri Devi advising him not to go, Sankar left.
Sankar's brother-in-law picked him up at Sankarankovil en route to Dalavaipuram and while crossing a forest area, some friends of his brother-in-law hacked him to death, police said adding, the gang fled from the spot.
Sri Devi, who rushed to Madurai, which is Sankar's native place, after she came to know that her husband had been attacked, was informed that he died. Overwhelmed by grief, she jumped off the bus in an attempt to commit suicide and suffered serious head injuries, police said.
Meanwhile, Sankar's relatives blocked traffic near here demanding arrest of those involved in his murder but police persuaded them to disperse.
Police have launched a haunt for the brother-in-law and others responsible for the murder.
