Maha Honour killing: 3rd year BHMS student strangled, set ablaze; five arrested

Mumbai: In a horrifying incident, a 22-year-old Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) student was strangled to death and set ablaze allegedly by her father, brother and three other male relatives over her love affair in Maharashtra’s Nanded district.

The police on Friday arrested the five for the killing that took place on January 22 in Pimpri Mahipal village under Limbgaon police station, around 600 km from Mumbai, an official said.

The student was strangled to death with a rope by her family members, who later set her ablaze and threw her remains in a stream to destroy the evidence, he said.

The matter came to light after her friends and other villagers observed that the girl was missing for a few days. Concerned about her whereabouts, they reported the matter to the police.

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The victim was a third-year student of Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and her marriage had been fixed. However, she informed the man chosen by her family that she was in love with another man from her village, the official said.

The victim's family had been upset after the wedding was called off, he said.

The woman’s father, brother, uncle and cousins took her to a farm on the night of January 22, and they allegedly killed her and tried to destroy the evidence, the official said.

The accused have been arrested under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, he added.

Condemning the incident, Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) Chairperson Rupali Chakankar said "What has happened is a shocking and inhuman act. We have asked the police to take strict action."

Apart from the MSCW chairperson, many others have also expressed their anger including Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Council Dr Neelam Gorhe.

Speaking to DH, Dr Gorhe said “This is against humanity." “This is the land of Rajmata Jijau, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Savatribai Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar…this is shocking,” said Sule.

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