Andhra Pradesh: To Save "Family's Honour", Father Kills Daughter For Allegedly Loving Boy From Another Caste

A 20-year-old college student in Andhra Pradesh was killed on midnight of February 3, 2019, reported NDTV. The incident took place in Kothapalem village of Tallur Mandal, Guntur district. It is alleged that her father killed her over her relationship with a classmate who belongs to another caste. Vaishnavi was found dead by her neighbours on February 4, 2019 morning. The father has been taken into custody.

Vaishanavi was a second year B Com student in Harshini degree college in Ongole town, reported the New Indian Express.

Family’s Reputation Over Daughter’s Love

According to several reports, Vaishnavi fell in love with a boy who was studying in the same college. Her father Venkat Reddy came to know about her daughter’s love affair. Venkat, who is an agriculturist, stood against his daughter’s love. However, Vaishanavi reportedly said that she would marry the boy she was in love with. The family used to quarrel with the daughter on a frequent basis over the love affair issue. The family is said to have asked the daughter to mend ways as it will jeopardise the family’s honour if others come to know of it.

Senior police officer, Srinivas Rao said that the father suspected that his daughter was planning to run away with her classmate and getting to know about this, her father allegedly in a fit of rage strangled her to death.

What Father Say

According to reports, Venkat Reddy had confessed to having killed his daughter. However, he did not mention anything about girl’s love affair. The cops said that Reddy claimed that he killed her daughter because she was not obeying his words and disregarding the elders in the house reported the New Indian Express. Police registered a case of murder against Venkat. Police booked Venkat under Section 201, and Section 302 of the IPC, and has taken him into custody for interrogation.

The Logical Indian Take

Though it is not confirmed yet the exact reason of the father strangling her daughter to death, this again seems a case of a woman’s life being put to end just because the family wanted to save its so-called honour. This isn’t the first incident when a person’s life being taken because he/she fell in love with someone who doesn’t belong to the same religion or community. According to a report by Times of India, in 2015, as many as 251 people died in the name of honour killings.

Incidents like these in India is ironic as the entire country enjoys Bollywood romance and worships Lord Radha and Krishna. People are so blind in the beliefs of caste and religion that they have forgotten about the happiness of their loved ones. That’s what societal pressure and extreme religious beliefs do.

While some of the murders are committed by the family members to maintain their reputation in the eyes of the so-called society, others are to induce fear in the coming generation.

Also Read: Honour Killing: Parents Kill Daughter & Burn Her Body For Marrying Man From Another Caste