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A couple in Telangana’s Karimnagar district allegedly killed their 17-year-old daughter and tried to stage the death as a suicide, to stop her from eloping with a married man from the village.
Reddy Raju and Lavanya, the girl’s parents, allegedly killed her by poisoning her with pesticide and then strangling her at their home in Shivarampalle, Saidapur mandal, on November 14. They then reported her death to the police as a suicide, claiming that she ended her life because she had an unbearable stomach ache.
“The parents’ explanation didn't convince us. We inquired and found out that she didn't have any health issues. The FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report showed indications of strangulation, as the hyoid bone in the neck was fractured. When we visited their home for questioning, the father got scared and confessed their crime to the deputy Sarpanch,” Huzurabad Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Madhavi told the media on December 25, Thursday.
According to the police, a married man from the same village, Polu Anil, had been pursuing her, saying he was in love with her. The girl, an intermediate first-year student (class 11), had been sending him messages via mobile phone for about three months when her parents found out and reprimanded her for it.
Anil is also accused of harassment by his wife.
The girl refused to end contact with Anil, and he even visited her home and talked to her parents on November 14 before she was killed, police said.
“The parents were afraid that she would leave home with him. They were worried about the family’s reputation, since their elder daughter is yet to be married,” the ACP said, adding that after forcing her to consume pesticide, the father strangled her to make sure that she died.