Tirunelveli: In a chilling caste-driven crime that has stunned Tamil Nadu, a 27-year-old Scheduled Caste youth working at a reputed IT firm in Chennai was hacked to death — allegedly by the son of two sub-inspectors — for merely maintaining a friendship with a woman from the Most Backward Class (MBC) community. 

The victim, Kavin Selva Ganesh, hailed from Arumugamangalam in Thoothukudi district. The accused, S Surjith (21), and his parents — Saravanan and Krishnakumari, both serving as sub-inspectors — reside in KTC Nagar, Tirunelveli. A case has been registered against all three under the Indian Penal Code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Sources say Kavin and the young woman — the accused couple’s daughter — had been friends since their school days. While Kavin was pursuing a tech career in Chennai, she worked as a consultant at a Siddha clinic in KTC Nagar. Their long-standing friendship reportedly faced strong opposition from the woman’s family, who feared it could culminate in marriage.

Despite warnings issued to both Kavin and his younger brother, he continued to keep in touch. On Sunday, he visited the woman to consult her regarding his grandfather’s deteriorating health. That meeting turned fatal.

Surjith allegedly approached Kavin and persuaded him to accompany him on his two-wheeler, claiming his parents wanted a word. Trusting him, Kavin agreed — only to be ambushed.

According to the police, upon reaching a secluded spot in Astalakshmi Nagar, Surjith pulled out a sickle hidden on his bike and attacked Kavin. Though Kavin attempted to escape, Surjith reportedly chased him down and brutally hacked him to death.

Surjith was arrested later that day and produced before a judicial magistrate on Monday. His police officer parents, also named in the FIR, are under investigation.

This horrific incident has reignited concerns over caste-based violence, even among educated, urban youth, and the abuse of power by those in uniform.