Bihar couple kills teen daughters over inter-caste relationships

A woman was arrested on Sunday in Hajipur area of Bihar’s Vaishali district in connection with the murder of her two daughters in a suspected case of honour killing, said police, adding that her husband who is also the prime accused is absconding.

Police identified the accused as Rinku Devi and her husband Naresh Baitha. Confirming the incident, Hajipur (sadar) deputy superintendent of police Om Prakash said that the parents killed their daughters fearing social stigma as their daughters were in relationships with men from other caste.“During interrogation, Rinku Devi said that her husband killed their daughters as they had fallen in love with men from other caste. The initial probe, however, revealed that both the woman and her husband were involved in the twin murders,” said the DSP.

A police officer familiar with the matter said that the parents killed their daughters, aged 18 and 16, at their home in Bhakurhar village under Sarai police station in Hajipur.

“The girls were suffocated to death while they were sleeping,” said the police officer quoted above. During interrogation, the mother said: “The girls used to elope with them frequently. They had eloped with two men around 15 days ago.”

On getting information, a police team reached the accused’s house and found Devi sitting near the bodies of her daughters, said the officer.

Another police officer privy to the investigation said that a manhunt has been launched to arrest their father Baitha.

A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at Hajipur police station, said the officer, adding, a probe is underway into the matter.