ARIYALUR: An alleged endogamous relationship between a young woman and a man (both said to belong to the same ‘Gotram’), has resulted in a terrible tragedy in Ponparappi in Ariyalur district, with the parents of the girl taking the extreme step to kill their pregnant daughter after efforts to dissuade her from an apparent incestuous relationship failed.

Police arrested the parents of 25-year-old Sharmila, on Sunday after they beat the pregnant woman to death, as she paid no heed to their advice to come out of a feared incestuous relationship. Both boy and girl are from the same community but happened to share the same ‘Gotram (Pangaaligal in Tamil)’, inviting the charge of incestuous ties. The arrested elders were identified as Thangarasu and his wife Mrs Bhavani of Ponparappi.

Police said Sharmila had fallen in love with one Kalairaj of the same area, despite her parents’ opposition to the relationship from the beginning. The ‘love couple’ ran way from the village way back in 2008. The parents traced Sharmila along with her lover-husband, and brought her home for an ‘arranged marriage’ with one Anbumani of the same area in 2009.

However, Sharmila deserted Anbumani and fled to get ‘married’ to Kalairaj at a temple near Chennai, police said. But the dismayed parents yet again traced their daughter, but this time she was seven months pregnant. They took her back home few days ago and compelled her to abort the child she was carrying.

When Sharmila refused, her parents allegedly beat her to death and fled the scene. On information, Senthurai police rushed to the spot and removed the deceased girl’s body for post-mortem and later arrested her parents.