Suicide or honour killing? Telangana woman found dead two days before court appearance

The death of a Telangana woman, two days before she was due to appear in the Hyderabad High Court, has raised eyebrows.

Twenty-year-old Swathi allegedly killed herself by hanging from her parents' house in Atmakur mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district in the early hours of Tuesday.

This happened a day after the HC asked Swathi to appear before it, in the case relating to her husband, 23-year-old Amboji Naresh, who had been missing for the last two weeks. 

It all started on March 25 when Naresh and Swathi decided to get married in Mumbai, without the consent of their parents. 

While Swathi belonged to an upper-caste Reddy community, Naresh was reported to be from a lower caste.

More than a month later, on May 2, the police said that Naresh and Swathi travelled to Bhongir town in Telangana, where the couple called Swathi's father, Srinivas Reddy, to pick her up and take her home.

Just four days later, on May 6, Naresh's father, Venkataiah, approached the Bhongir Town police station, and said that his son was missing and never returned home.

"As soon as we received the complaint, we checked for evidence. There were no witnesses or CCTV footage, therefore, we tracked his cell phone records. As of 9pm on May 2, Naresh was in Bhongir. Since then, his phone has been swithced off," Inspector M Shankar from the Bhongir Town Police Station told The News Minute.

"We even summoned Srinivas Reddy on May 7, and asked him what happened. However, he said that he had no idea about Naresh's whereabouts," the police officer added.

With the case making no progress, Venkataiah moved the HC on May 15, and filed a habeas corpus petition, stating that he feared for his son's safety.

However, there are conflicting claims.

When the couple had initially eloped, reports suggested that Swathi’s father had called her and pleaded with her to return, while also filing a police complaint that his daughter was kidnapped.

Additionally, Srinivas Reddy has since alleged that Naresh asked for dowry, when he dropped Swathi back home.

"In his complaint, the girl's father alleged that Naresh asked for money and gold from his family, as dowry, for marrying Swathi. We are looking into the claims, and have registered a case against Naresh and his family under Section 304-B (dowry death)," Sub-inspector P. Shivanagaprasad from the Athmakur police station told TNM.

He added that no case had been booked against Swathi's family as of now.

After hearing the case, the court, on May 15, had directed the police to file an affidavit on the missing person and produce Swati before it on May 18.

However, within a few hours of the ruling, reports claim that Swati tried to kill herself on Monday by consuming acid. She was rushed to the hospital, and discharged the same day.

In the early hours of Tuesday, as everyone in the house went to sleep, Swathi reportedly used a stole to hang herself in the bathroom.

The HC was informed of Swathi's death, and has reportedly asked the police to videograph the post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Naresh's father has alleged that it was an honour killing, as Swathi had married outside her caste. 

The case will come up for hearing again on May 18.