A young Muslim woman and a Hindu man killed themselves in Tripura after their families strongly disapproved of their love affair because of socio-religious taboo, police said here on Sunday.

Natasha, a 21-year-old resident of Taranagar village and a second-year student of Swami Vibekananda college in Mohanpur, was in love with her 25-year-old neighbour Sanjib Das, a driver of a private vehicle, a police spokesman said.

“When his family strongly disapproved of the love affair, Sanjib committed suicide Friday night by hanging himself from a tree near Natasha’s house after sending an SMS to Natasha’s mobile,” the spokesman told reporters.

Later Friday night, Natasha told her mother she was going to the toilet, but within an hour her mother found her ablaze below a bamboo plant behind their house.

The girl was immediately taken to the Gobinda Ballav Pant Medical College and Hospital here with more than 90 per cent burns and breathed her last on Saturday night.

Taranagar is around 35 km north of state capital Agartala.

Natasha’s parents were also strongly against the relationship with Sanjib, police said.

Mohanpur sub-divisional police officer Sanjay Biswas said police have found a suicide note from Natasha, saying she committed suicide because her “most loved one has left me”.

Police investigation was on.