A 17-year-old girl was murdered by her father after the family found out that she was in love with a Dalit youth from neighbouring village in Mysuru's Kaggundi village.
The incident took place at 2:30 am on Tuesday, 7 June, after the girl refused to end her relationship with the Dalit youth. The issue, which started with an argument over her relationship, ended with Suresh, her 45-year-old father strangulating the girl in anger.
Family Opposed Inter-Caste Relationship From the Beginning
The girl, a student of pre-university college (PUC) second year in a college in Periyapatna taluk, belonged to the Vokkaliga community, while Manju, the youth she was in relationship with, hailed from neighbouring Melahalli village, and belonged to a Scheduled Caste.
According to the police, the couple faced opposition from the girl's parents from the very beginning. A month ago, in an attempt to stop the couple from continuing their inter-caste relationship, the girl's parents tried to counselled her against it and had asked her to not meet her partner.
The police also told The Quint that the Dalit youth and the girl's father got into an argument during the pre-university examinations, and that they had approached the police station over the issue. Relentless, the girl defended her partner and instead complained against the parents.
Returned Home on Parents' Assurance but Continued To Face Harassment
Keeping in mind the sensitive situation, the girl was shifted to Government Girls’ Home in Mysuru. However, soon the parents wrote to the District Child Welfare Committee assuring that they would not harm her and would instead get her well educated if she returned home. But the girl after she was brought back home, was allegedly again subjected to harassment by the parents.
The police have registered a case of murder under IPC section 302. "On the night of 6 June, the girl was strangled to death by her father Suresh. It happened when the argument got out of hand and when the girl was leaving the parent's house for her boyfriend's place. The girl's body was then dumped in a nearby farm. However, the father surrendered himself the next day. We have registered a case against both the parents. They are currently in judicial custody," said the police to The Quint.
It was also reported that the District Child Welfare Committee in Mysore said that the girl was reluctant to go back to her parents. However, she agreed to return home on a condition that parents give her an assurance to not harass her. The authorities also told the reporters that the girl was allowed to go home only after the parents gave a written statement and after the officials conducted an investigation into her safety.
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