The woman had rejected the man's proposal several times due to his criminal background and wayward ways.
Published Jun 28, 2023 | 7:41 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 28, 2023 | 8:11 PM
Raju and his family were preparing to sleep when the gang barged into their house. (Wikimedia Commons)
Sreelakshmi rejected her neighbour Jishnu’s marriage proposal two years ago. On Wednesday, 28 June, he killed her father Raju around 10 hours before her wedding was to be solemnised.
Raju, 61, hosted a reception on Tuesday. His daughter was to get married at 10.30 am on Wednesday at nearby Varkala.
After the guests of the reception left, Raju and his family were preparing to go to bed a little past midnight when Jishnu and three others barged into their residence — at Vadasserikonam near Kallambalam in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district — and attacked Sreelakshmi.
The father rushed to his daughter’s aid, but was hacked repeatedly with a pickaxe. The gang created panic and threatened others — including neighbours — who tried to intervene.
Even as an ambulance shifted a bleeding and unconscious Raju to a hospital, the assailants followed the vehicle and ensured his death.
The police later arrested the gang — Jishnu, his brother Jithin, and friends Manu and Shyam — from near the hospital. The accused were aged 25-30, the police said.
Sreelakshmi and her mother Jaya, too, were injured when the gang attacked them at their house. Raju’s son Srihari was not present at the residence during the incident.
Witnesses said the gang also attacked a neighbour, Raju’s relative, who intervened. He suffered a deep gash on his head.
Raju’s body was brought home in the afternoon and cremated around 4 pm.
Neighbours and Raju’s relatives reportedly told the police that the gang’s target was Sreelakshmi. Jishnu had allegedly told her that she would not be allowed to get married.
The young woman turned down Jishnu’s proposal due to his background. He was not a graduate while she held an MSc degree.
Her family also knew about his occasional violent outbursts. Additionally, Jishnu allegedly had a criminal background and was addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Despite Sreelakshmi’s rejection, he kept chasing her. Her family, at one point, even warned him against stalking her.
Raju had worked in the Middle East for about 25 years before returning home. He was driving an autorickshaw to provide for his family.
