An uneasy calm prevailed at Nallurupalle in Punganur mandal, the native place of the 17-year-old victim of ‘honour killing’, during the visit of senior officials to the village on Saturday. The Intermediate student was murdered by her own parents on January 17 for being in love with a Dalit boy.
After lodging a complaint with the Punganur police against the victim’s lover Suresh (22), accusing him of kidnapping their daughter on January 22, the two had later confessed to killing their daughter on January 30, after her body was found in a bush.
The officials included Madanaapalle Sub-Collector R.V. Karnan, Palamaner DSP P. Shankar and Punganur Tehsildar Muniraju. Learning about the officials’ visit, most people remained indoors or left the village on the pretext of going to fields. The local sarpanch had a tough time goading residents to be present in the village. After arriving at the village at 1 p.m., the officials proceeded to the house of the accused. Since the couple are in remand, their eight-year-old son has been kept under the care of a distant relative.
Residents who gathered near the house told the Sub-Collector that honour killing was a singular incident in the village, and that they had suggested that the couple give into the girl’s wish to marry her lover. On the couple’s son Bhaskar, he said Collector Siddarth Jain had issued instructions for his rehabilitation, adding that the government would bear his educational expenses. Meanwhile, the girl’s lover and his mother requested the Sub-Collector and the DSP to provide them security, as they feared threat to their lives from the victim’s relatives.
