A dejected man stabbed a 23-year-old girl to death for spurning his love, and then attempted to commit suicide by consuming poison, in Annur, near Coimbatore.

The girl, Dhanya, was working in a private firm in Annur, some 35 kilometres from Coimbatore. She was being harassed by a 27-year-old Muslim youth, Jahir, with his offer of love. Dhanya didn’t reciprocate positively, after which Jahir began stalking her.

Meanwhile, Dhanya got engaged to a youth from Kerala and the marriage was fixed for next month. Being Onam festival yesterday, both Dhanya and her fiancé went to the temple, and she returned home around 7 PM.

Her parents were in for a rude shock, when they found their daughter lying in a pool of blood, with multiple stab injuries, the police said.

Investigations soon led the police to conclude that Jahir was behind the murder. It was learnt that Jahir had consumed poison, had fled to Palakkad in neighbouring Kerala. He is reportedly undergoing treatment in a private hospital.

Jahir is currently said to be in a critical condition. Once he is shifted to the ward, the police may take him to Annur for further investigations. Meanwhile, parents and relatives received Dhanya’s body after post mortem was performed at the Coimbatore Government Hospital.

Some Hindu outfits that had planned to observe a bandh in Annur today to condemn the killing and demand the arrest of the accused, dropped the idea, as Jahir was secured by the police in Palakkad.