Dalit man killed by in-laws in hate crime in Telangana
A 30-year-old Dalit man was killed allegedly by his in-laws in a suspected case of hate crime for marrying a woman against her family’s wish in the Suryapet district of Telangana, police said on Tuesday, adding a manhunt has been launched to arrest the accused
A 30-year-old Dalit man was killed allegedly by his in-laws in a suspected case of hate crime for marrying a woman against her family’s wish in the Suryapet district of Telangana, police said on Tuesday, adding a manhunt has been launched to arrest the accused.
The body of Vadlakonda Krishna, a resident of Mamillagadda in the same district, was found in a canal at Pillalamarri village on Monday early morning. Based on a complaint from his father John David, the police registered a case against Krishna’s father-in-law Kotla Saidulu, brothers-in-law Kotla Naveen and Kotla Vamshi, and one Bairu Mahesh, a friend of the accused brothers, a senior police officer said.
“We have registered a case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant section of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” Suryapet deputy superintendent of police (DSP) G Ravi said.
Krishna and Naveen had been friends for the last couple of years and the former used to visit the latter’s house frequently. Over a period of time, Krishna fell in love with Naveen’s sister Kotla Bhargavi, the senior officer said.
“When Naveen came to know about their relationship, he threatened Krishna to stay away from his sister,” the DSP said, adding the woman’s family, who belong to an Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, also warned the Dalit man not to meet Bhargavi.
However, the couple got married six months ago and were living together in Suryapet town, DSP Ravi said.
Incensed by it, Naveen conspired with his close friend Bairu Mahesh, who invited Krishna to his house on Sunday evening. “Krishna went to meet Mahesh, but did not return home after that. On Monday morning, his body was found near the Musi canal embankment close to Pillalamarri,” the officer said.
The body bore severe injury marks on the head and neck, indicating he might have been strangled and bludgeoned to death, the DSP said. “The body has been sent to the district hospital for post-mortem examination and the report is awaited. We have formed four special teams to track down the culprits,” Ravi added.
