Karnataka police have cracked what was suspected to be a case of caste-based killing after the father of a 15-year old girl who was murdered on October 22 confessed to murdering his daughter and burning her body in his backyard.
Lakshmidevi, a class 10 student at a government school in Nelamangala, had eloped with Lakshminarayana from a different caste three months ago, police officials said. This angered her father Chikkanarasimhaiah.
Lakshmidevi returned after a few days and her father continued to remain angry. He warned Lakshmidevi to not meet the boy anymore but she did not heed his advice. Chikkanarasimhaiah got into a fit of anger and bludgeoned her to death.
Villagers grew suspicious when they didn’t see Lakshmidevi for weeks. Rumours were rampant in the village that Chikkanarasimhai had killed his daughter, and a constable from Thyamagondly police station near Nelamangala was sent to investigate, reported Deccan Herald.
The constable then informed other officials at Thyamagondlu police station, and rushed to the spot and picked up Chikkanarasimhaiah for questioning. He later confessed to killing his daughter.
“When the head constable went to the spot, villagers said they suspected Chikkanarasimhaiah had killed his daughter,” a police official said. “He claims Lakshmidevi wasn’t going to school regularly and had also not paid the fees after collecting money from him. However, it is suspected that it’s a case of honour killing and we are investigating it,” the official said speaking to Deccan Chronicle.
Chikkanarasimhaiah’s second wife was not present during the incident. When she returned a week later, he told her that Lakshmi eloped with the boy again and he did not want to file a complaint.