Kurnool: In yet another caste-based hate crime, a 30-year-old Dalit man was killed by his in-laws in broad daylight in Adoni town of Kurnool district on Thursday, the police said.
The incident occurred when the man was returning home after buying a cake for the New Year celebrations and stopped midway by two persons, who attacked him with iron rods and boulders.
“They smashed his head with a big boulder and left the place only after ensuring that he had died on the spot,” Adoni circle inspector of police P Sriramulu said.
On Friday, the police took the victim’s father-in-law Chinna Eeranna and uncle Pedda Eeranna into custody following a complaint from his 25-year-old wife. “We are questioning them, before formally arresting and producing them before the court,” the inspector said.
The murdered man was identified as Adam Smith. He belonged to Gurajala village and had married the woman of the same village six weeks ago at an Arya Samaj Mandir in Adoni, against her parents’ wishes. Smith is a Dalit Christian and the woman hails from the Kuruva community, an OBC caste.
While Smith had been working as a physiotherapist in Adoni, his wife Maheshwari, who had completed her graduation, was preparing for bank recruitment tests. “Both had been in love with each other for the last eight years, but kept their parents in dark,” the police said.
Last year, when the woman’s parents fixed her marriage with another person of the same caste, she disclosed her love affair with Smith to her parents, who did not agree for the marriage, as he hailed from Dalit community.
Having no other option, the woman left her home and got married to Smith last month. Subsequently, the newly-wed couple took a house on rent in Adoni and had been living there.
The police booked a case of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, besides under SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act.