Inter-caste love claims 3 lives

Chikmagalur: An inter-caste love affair led to triple murder as the girl's uncle shot dead the boy's father and another before being killed by the victims' kin at a nearby village, police said on Thursday.

Ajje Gowda was opposed to the love affair of his sister's daughter with the son of one Ram Shetty of Avre Grama, 20 km from here. In a fit of rage, he had on Wednesday night stormed into Shetty's house and fired from a double-barrel gun, killing Shetty and his sister-in-law, they said.

Shetty's relatives, who heard gun shots, rushed to the spot and were shocked to see the two lying dead in a pool of blood. They then hacked Gowda and shot him dead using his gun.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with Gowda's murder.