Mysuru man surrenders before police after killing daughter over inter-caste relationship

According to the police, the murder took place in Periyapatana Taluk in Mysuru on Monday. The father, in his statement, said that he was angry about his daughter’s inter-caste relationship with a Dalit man.

A 45-year-old man surrendered before Mysuru police on Wednesday after he murdered his 17-year-old daughter over an inter-caste relationship, officials said.

A 45-year-old man surrendered before Mysuru police on Wednesday after he murdered his 17-year-old daughter over an inter-caste relationship, officials said. (Agencies/Representative use)

According to the police, the murder took place in Periyapatana Taluk in Mysuru on Monday. The father, in his statement, said that he was angry about his daughter’s relationship with a Dalit man.

The accused was identified as 45-year-old Suresh, a resident of Kaggundi village in Periyapatna. He belongs to the Vokkaliga community, considered “upper caste” in Karnataka, police said.

“His daughter’s name was Shalini, and she was a student of second PUC (10+2). The boy she was in love with was from a neighbouring village Kaggundi, and he was Dalit. Angry over this, he strangled her to death,” said a senior Mysuru police officer.

The officer said that around a month ago, Shalini had approached Periyapatana police with a complaint. “She had claimed she was facing harassment at home over the relationship and needed police protection. Based on this complaint, the local police station had shifted her to the Government Girls’ Home in Mysuru,” the officer added.

Just after she was shifted to the home, her parents approached the Mysuru district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and appealed to take her home. The CWC official demanded an undertaking from the parents that she should not be harmed and that she will be allowed to continue her education. Based on this assurance, she was sent back home, police said.

Police further said that she had told the CWC that she didn’t want to go with her parents. But after the officials paid a visit to her home and counselled her parents, she agreed.

Upon returning home, her family members, including the father and the mother Baby, tried to convince the girl against the relationship. “When she tried to contact the boy again on Monday, there was a violent reaction from the father,” the above-cited officer said.

Around 3 am on Monday, her father strangled her after a confrontation between them. Her mother tried to revive her by throwing water on her face after she fell to the ground motionless. When they realised she was dead, they took the girl’s body to a nearby village on a two-wheeler in the wee hours of the day and disposed of the body on the road.

“We are not sure why they did that, maybe it was an attempt to make it look like someone did it. We will know this during the probe. Despite doing this, the next day, the father surrendered before the police and confessed to the crime. We have also arrested the mother in connection with the case since she was an accomplice to the crime,” the officer added.