‘Victim-blaming’ news reports upset family of murdered Madras Christian College student

‘Victim-blaming’ news reports upset family of murdered Madras Christian College student

Police officials said the family was disappointed with the media coverage of the crime as they felt some sections of the media blamed the victim.

Published: 25th September 2021 07:03 AM 

A shamiana put up outside the house of Swetha on Friday, a day after she was murdered near the Tambaram Railway Station | R Satish Babu

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A day after a 25-year-old man murdered a student of the Madras Christian College (MCC) near the Tambaram Railway Station, grief filled the locality where the family of the victim, Swetha, resides. Police officials said the family was disappointed with the media coverage of the crime as they felt some sections of the media blamed the victim.

Meanwhile, the accused Ramachandran’s father allegedly attempted to beat his son at the hospital as he was agitated by the youngster’s act, police sources said. In his statement to the police, Ramachandran said he bought a knife to kill himself in front of Swetha as a sign of protest since she broke up with him, but ended up murdering her in a fit of rage after an argument. On realising the people around would nab him and hand him to the police, he inflicted an injury on his throat, but the attempt to commit suicide was stopped by the public, the police said.

On Friday morning, the police handed over Swetha’s body to her family after an autopsy. Their neighbourhood in Chromepet was filled with grief as several people visited the house to express condolences. Ramachandran was on Friday remanded in judicial custody after being discharged from hospital. Quoting him, the police said he had asked Swetha to meet him in front of the Tambaram Railway Station, and Ramachandran bought the knife before boarding the train at Maraimalai Nagar.

One of Swetha’s friends told the police the victim had said her troubles would end after meeting Ramachandran and she would be able to carry on with her life. Ramachandran, a native of Nagapattinam, was working in Maraimalai Nagar, and is said to have known the victim for three years.