The girl, who had eloped with her lover, was brough home, forcefully fed poison and strangulated to death on 9 June.
The spot in an open field where Nethravathi was cremated without police knowledge. Accused (from top) Shivaraju, Parashuram, & Tukaram
In a suspected case of honour killing, a girl six months shy of her 18th birthday was murdered and consigned to flames in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district more than a week ago.
The girl’s father, brother and uncle, who allegedly killed the girl, tried to convince their neighbours at Chikkehedigehalli village in Gubbi taluk that she had committed suicide.
The neighbours, however, were not convinced. Their suspicion led to the arrest of the girl’s father Parashurama (50), brother Shivaraju (24) and uncle Tukaram (45).
The incident came to light after some villagers informed the jurisdictional Cheluru police that the girl was cremated in an open field without following due procedures.
The police were also told that the girl, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) family, had eloped with a youth from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community during the last week of May.
Beat constables who rushed to the field where the girl, Nethravathi, was cremated could find only ashes and a few burnt bones. A case for abetment of suicide was registered against the girl’s family members.
Though the police registered a case for abetment of suicide, the villagers firmly suspected foul play in her death. They shared their suspicion with the police and DySP Naveen Kumar and Circle Inspector Gopinath V questioned the now-arrested trio. They buckled under pressure and began confessing.
The police said Nethravathi had been in a relationship with one Kumar, a private firm employee. The couple had planned to get married once the girl turned 18.
However, Parashuram, who came to know about his daughter’s affair, objected and reprimanded Nethravathi, and asked her to stay away from Kumar two weeks ago. The couple, fearing that their dreams would not materialise, eloped on 27 May.
The family reportedly had no information about the girl for two weeks. However, on finding her location, they forcefully brought her home on 9 June.
Even after being brought home, Nethravathi was adamant about marrying Kumar. Her family wanted her to snap ties with Kumar, saying he was from another caste. She refused.
In a reported bid to save the family’s honour, Parashurama and others forcefully fed her a pesticide before strangulating her with a rope used to tether goats.
On confirming Nethravathi’s death, they hanged her, before spreading the news of the suicide in the village. They cremated Nethravati the same day, the police said.
The police booked the men under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code. The arrested men were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
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