The grieving family of 23-year-old Dalit techie Kavin Selvaganesh, who was brutally murdered in what is suspected to be a caste-based honour killing, has finally received his body after days of emotional protest and relentless demands for justice. His mortal remains are being transported to his hometown in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu, where his final rites will be performed.
The young software engineer, who worked in Chennai, was in a relationship with a Siddha doctor from a dominant caste—a relationship that allegedly triggered his murder. The incident took place on July 23 in Tirunelveli, where Kavin had gone to visit his ailing grandfather at a Siddha treatment centre. According to police reports, he was lured away from the centre and later hacked to death in a premeditated attack by his girlfriend’s brother, Surjith.
Authorities say that Surjith, enraged by his sister’s inter-caste relationship with a Dalit man, carried out the attack with the intent to “protect family honour.” Surjith and his father Saravanan, a serving Sub-Inspector, have both been arrested and charged with murder under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Additionally, the Goondas Act, a stringent preventive detention law in Tamil Nadu, has also been invoked against Surjith.
Kavin’s mother, father, and relatives initially refused to accept his body after the post-mortem, demanding immediate arrests of all those allegedly involved—including Surjith’s mother, also a Sub-Inspector. They accused her of playing a part in the conspiracy and aiding the cover-up. In response to public pressure and growing outrage, she has since been suspended from duty, although not formally arrested.
The family’s protest drew national attention and amplified calls for justice from Dalit rights groups and civil society. Massive outrage on social media platforms and local protests across Tamil Nadu have pushed the government to hand over the investigation to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID).
kavin Selvaganesh’s Death Sparks Outrage and Renewed Calls to End Caste-Based Honour Killings
In a surprising twist, the victim’s girlfriend released a video statement in which she confirmed her romantic relationship with Kavin but denied any involvement of her parents in the murder. “They didn’t even know we were in love,” she said in the clip, attempting to quash theories of a broader family-led conspiracy.
Despite her claims, Kavin’s family remains convinced that the murder was not an isolated act but part of a wider plan, possibly orchestrated or supported by the girl’s family members—especially given her father’s position in the police force.
The tragedy has reignited widespread debate over honour killings and caste-based violence in Tamil Nadu. Activists and legal experts are now calling for a specific law against dishonour killings, arguing that current legal provisions fail to address the socio-cultural motivations behind such crimes.
“This isn’t just a personal tragedy. It’s a reflection of the deep-rooted casteism that continues to claim young lives under the guise of ‘family honour’,” said a Chennai-based Dalit rights activist. “We need systemic reform—both in the police force and in law—to stop these killings.”
As the CBCID probe continues, the case is being watched closely across the state. Public demand for swift justice and legislative reform is growing, even as the family mourns a young man whose only “crime” was to love someone across caste lines.
Kavin Selvaganesh’s untimely death has become a symbol of resistance against caste prejudice, and his family’s fight for justice is now part of a larger struggle for social change.
