A 23-year-old teacher was killed by her alleged stalker in the premises of her school in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district on Friday, The Hindu reported. The accused, identified as K Rajasekhar, is absconding.

Rajasekhar is believed to have been stalking S Ramya for over a year after she rejected his marriage proposal, The News Minute reported.

Ramya taught mathematics to Class 5 students at Gayathri Matriculation School, NDTV reported. She had come early to the school on Friday, when the accused found her alone in her classroom. He allegedly attacked her with a knife and fled. Ramya died on the spot.

A sweeper in the school found her dead in the classroom, the police said. The school management later alerted the Kurinjipadi police station. Her body was sent for an autopsy to the Kurunjipadi Government Hospital.

“The suspect Rajasekhar had known the teacher from college days,” an unidentified police officer told NDTV. “Six months ago, he had asked her parents to marry their daughter to him, but they had refused. This appears to be the motive behind the attack.”