In a suspected case of honour killing, a man allegedly murdered his daughter and later set her body on fire over her inter-caste relationship in Karnataka&rsquo;s Kalaburagi district.
The incident took place in Melakunda village of Kalaburagi taluk, under the jurisdiction of the Farhatabad police station. The accused, identified as Shankar Kolkur, has been arrested. Police are also searching for two others, Sharanu and Dattappa, who allegedly assisted him in committing the crime.
According to police, the victim, 18-year-old Kavitha, belonged to the Lingayat community and was a second-year pre-university (Class 12) student. She was in a relationship with Malappa Poojari, a youth from the Kuruba community in the same village.
Four months ago, her family discovered the relationship and stopped her from attending college. During this period, Kavitha had challenged her parents, insisting that she would only marry Malappa. She warned that she would elope with him if they did not give their consent.
Despite opposition and threats from her family, Kavitha remained firm about her decision. Police said that her father Shankar, with help from two relatives, strangled her to death. The family then attempted to make it appear as though she had died after consuming pesticide. Later, they took her body to a relative&rsquo;s farm and set it ablaze.
On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and arrested the father. A suo motu case has been registered. Kalaburagi Police Commissioner D. S. Sharanappa and other senior officials also visited the scene.
The incident has created tension in the village, and further investigation is underway.
Kavitha&rsquo;s mother, Mallmma, revealed that her husband had only recently overcome his 20-year liquor addiction. However, he began drinking again after learning of his daughter&rsquo;s inter-caste relationship.
Mallmma added, "Kavitha was adamant to marry the guy from the family, which was not on good terms with us." [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Karnataka Man Kills Daughter Over Inter-Caste Love

Kalaburagi man murders daughter, burns body after family opposes inter-caste affair

Karnataka Man Kills Daughter Over Inter-Caste Love

Kalaburagi man murders daughter, burns body after family opposes inter-caste affair

August 31, 2025 | 24:14 IST