A horrifying case of murder has come to light in Telangana after parents of a 20-year-old woman allegedly killed her for falling in love with a man, who belongs to the OBC (other backward classes) community. The woman’s parents allegedly killed her after they found that she was pregnant. The incident occurred on Sunday morning in Kalakuntla village, located in Jogulamba-Gadwal district’s Manavapadu mandal.
According to Jogulamba-Gadwal District Police, Bhaskaraiah Vuppala and Veeramma, have three daughters and the deceased Divya was one of them. Divya was pursuing her undergraduate degree from a private college in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool, where she met her boyfriend, who was also studying in the same class.
Divya, a first year student, had returned home from Andhra Pradesh in March after the lockdown began. Divya, who belongs to the upper caste Vaishya community, had not disclosed her relationship to her parents fearing backlash as her boyfriend belongs to the Boya community.
Divya became sick and had not menstruated since her return from college. Her father took her to a private hospital in Kurnool on Saturday, where they were informed that she is pregnant. Bhaskaraiah and Veeramma allegedly wanted Divya to abort the baby. But she allegedly refused to do so. Police said that her parents allegedly threatened her to abort the baby by stating that news of her pregnancy would “bring disrepute” to the family.
After returning from the hospital, Divya went to sleep in her room. At around 4 am on Sunday, Bhaskaraiah and Veeramma allegedly strangled her to death.
Early on Sunday morning, Divya’s parents allegedly informed her neighbours and relatives that she died of cardiac arrest. However, Divya’s neighbours, who grew suspicious, allegedly tipped off the village secretary.
The Shanti Nagar Police subsequently detained Bhaskaraiah and Veeramma on Sunday afternoon and began questioning them. "After her parents found out that she was pregnant and that she had fallen in love with a person from a lowered caste, her parents assumed it would tarnish their reputation in the village. Early on Sunday morning, her father strangled her, while her mother covered her face with a pillow,” Sub Inspector of Shanti Nagar Police Station, Sreehari K said.
The Village Panchayat Secretary allegedly filed a complaint with the police after Divya’s neighbours tipped him off. On Sunday, an FIR was registered under section 174 (procedure to follow in case of unnatural death, where the police are empowered to undertake an investigation) of the Code of Criminal Procedure after the complaint was filed stating that Divya died under suspicious circumstances. "When we examined her body, she had injuries on her neck and other minor injuries due to the struggle. During the course of interrogation both the parents confessed to the crime.” SI Sreehari added.
The autopsy revealed that Divya was 13-weeks pregnant. Police said that Divya’s parents allegedly killed her as she refused to abort the child. After the police procured the confession, a case of murder was registered under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
Shantinagar Circle Inspector K Venkateshwarlu said that the accused were remanded to judicial custody on Monday after they formally arrested the couple.