Young woman’s suspicious death in Thoothukudi turns out to be murder; brother, mother arrested

The Kayathar police arrested a man and his mother from South Mayilodai village on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) on charges of murdering his 18-year-old sister, who was in a relationship with a man from Salem district.

According to the police, the deceased was identified as S. Abi Selvi. On Tuesday (June 9), the Kayathar police, after receiving information that the woman had allegedly died by suicide at her home, registered a case and initiated an investigation. The police recovered her body and sent it to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College and Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Presence of poison

However, during the course of investigation, the post-mortem findings, including the presence of poison and injuries on her body, raised suspicion about the circumstances surrounding her death, the police added.

A discreet probe revealed that Abi Selvi had allegedly been in a relationship with a man she had met on social media.

The investigation subsequently found that her brother, S. Sivagnanam, 20, had allegedly murdered her after a quarrel over her relationship with the man. Their mother, Esther Pauline, 36, had been an accomplice in the crime, the police said. Based on the findings, the police arrested Sivagnanam and Esther Pauline late on Wednesday night. Further investigation is under way.

‘Not caste killing’

The Thoothukudi police, meanwhile, on Thursday (June 11) rejected claims that the murder of Abi Selvi was an ‘honour killing’. The press statement said that the investigation conducted so far had not uncovered evidence to substantiate the claim that the incident was caste-based. The public has been requested to note that information circulating on social media describing the murder as an ‘honour killing’ is unverified and contrary to the facts.