Indian parents poison girl in love with Dalit, watch her die
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NEWS DESK: For six hours, 20-year-old Sushma writhed in agony on the floor as the poison did its work. Her father who forced the poison down her throat and watched her die later told police it was just punishment for loving a man outside the community and insisting on marrying him against their wishes.
The horrific crime took place in an Indian village, Gollanabeedu, located around 15 kilometres (km) from Mysuru. According to a report published in Times of India, the reason behind the murder was revealed as police took up suo motu investigation a week after Sushma’s death.
Sushma’s father, Kumar Gowda, is in custody. Police are looking for her mother and uncle, who helped Kumar in killing the girl.
Additional SP N Rudramuni said Kumar, his wife Jayanthi and her brother Kempanna were against Sushma’s relationship with a Dalit youth, who is a painter and a resident of the neighbouring Alanahalli village.
Sushma was the eldest of three daughters and had dropped out of college. In December last year, Kumar, along with a few panchayat members, tried to dissuade Sushma from continuing with the relationship. However, when he failed, he sent her to a relative’s house in Hulikere in Mandya district.
Kumar then called Sushma home thrice to convince her to marry a man of the family’s choice, which Sushma refused. The family called her a fourth time on February 20.
“Involving her in a conversation, the girl’s mother is said to have offered her orange juice laced with a toxic liquid,” said the police officer. “Sushma took a few sips and stopped, saying the juice tasted strong. Seeing their ruse had failed, Kumar, Jayanthi and Kempanna held her nostrils and forced the juice down her throat.”
According to SP Rudramuni, they gave her the toxic juice at around 10:30pm on February 20 and she had died by 4am the next day. Kumar told the police that Sushma suffered for six hours, writhing in pain on the floor. “After she died, her body was cremated in the farm around 5am,” SP Rudramuni said. “We’re looking for the mortal remains of the girl and any other evidence.”
Beat constable Ravi informed senior officials about the rumours that Sushma was killed over a love affair, which led to the investigations.
A case was filled at Heggadadevana Kote police station on Wednesday. Police officials said that Kumar confessed to having killed his daughter with the help of his wife and brother-in-law. However, they added, he showed no remorse. The three have been booked for murder and destruction of evidence.APP/AFP