Man beheads minor girl after authorities stop marriage
A minor girl from Kumbaragadige village in Karnataka’s Kodagu was beheaded on Thursday by a person to whom she was engaged. The incident has sent shock waves across the district.
The girl had cleared the SSLC examination, the results of which were announced on Thursday morning. But she got engaged to a 33-year-old person identied as Prakash on the same day, and this was objected to by the District Child Rights Protection Unit. The local police said the Child Helpline received a call about the impending engagement and it alerted the oªcials concerned.
Sources said oªcials of the Social Welfare Department reached the spot and counselled the girl’s parents. Though the engagement was over, they took a bond from them that their daughter would not be married till she turned 18.
Meanwhile, Prakash returned to the girl’s home late in the evening and, in a t of anger, swiped at the parents of the girl with a sharp weapon and in§icted severe injuries on their arms. Later, the girl was dragged out of the house to a distance of 150 metres, and her head was severed from her torso.
While Prakash escaped, the girl’s brother led a complaint with the police. The police shifted the girl’s parents to a hospital for treatment, besides providing them with security cover. The weapon used in committing the crime was also recovered.
According to Jayanti, convener of a local farmers’ organisation and activist, the victim was the only girl to appear for the SSLC examination from the local school and had passed with good marks. She was also good at sports and looked forward to pursuing her studies.
The police have registered a case under various sections of the IPC, including 302, 307 and under the POCSO Act. Though there were rumours that the accused was found dead near his house on Friday, the police did not conrm it.