Dad strangles daughter for relationship with Dalit boy in Karnataka’s Kolar

KOLAR: In a suspected incident of honour killing, a 20-year-old girl was strangled to death by her father for falling in love with a Dalit boy, 22, in Bodagurki, a small village in Bangarpet taluk and about 100 km from Benglauru, early on Tuesday. Hours later, upon hearing about his girlfriend’s death, the distraught boyfriend allegedly died by suicide by jumping before a speeding train, police said.

Dharani Devi, the superintendent of police, KGF, said Krishnamurthy, 42, a plumber by profession, was arrested after he confessed to killing his daughter Preethi.

Preethi’s family had initially sought to cover up the incident, claiming it was death by suicide, but a relative filed a police complaint, raising doubts over the death, the police officer added. According to Markandeya, the circle inspector at Oorgaum police station, there could have been no other trigger for Preethi’s death other than the fact that she was in love with Dalit boy Gangadhar.

Both Preethi, a member of the Golla community, and Gangadhar were residents of the same neighbourhood in Bodagurki, a small village of 167 households with a population of about 700.

There are 47 Dalit and 40 Golla families in the village. Ramesh, the Railway police sub-inspector, said Gangadhar died by suicide near Bisannatham, about 8km from his village. Railway police were informed about it at 10.15 am. Police suspect the incident might have taken place between 8 and 8.30am.

While Preethi was a second-year undergraduate student, Gangadhar used to assist his maternal uncle in masonry. When Preethi’s father got wind of his daughter’s relationship with Gangadhar, he told her to stay away from him. Yet, in spite of the warning, the duo continued to meet and chat over their mobile phones.

On Monday evening, Krishnamurthy and Preethi had a fight over the issue, police said. With tension still simmering between the father and daughter, Krishnamurthy strangled Preethi to death early on Tuesday

Courtesy : TOI

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