Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A 21-year-old woman was allegedly beaten and strangled to death by her father and uncle over her boy-cut hairstyle and decision to work away from home in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district.
The incident took place in Patriya Pura village in the Dabra area, under the jurisdiction of Pichhore police station, on Monday.
According to the report, the deceased was identified as Anu alias Nandani Yadav. Her father, Bhagwan Singh Yadav, and uncle Santosh Singh Yadav are suspected of killing her.
According to police, Nandani worked at a mall in Vijayapura, Karnataka, and had returned home for Raksha Bandhan.
A preliminary investigation suggested that her family objected to her working away from home and keeping her hair in a short, 'boy-cut' style.
Police said Bhagwan Singh and Santosh arrived at the house on Monday afternoon and allegedly assaulted Nandani's 17-year-old sister.
Mom intervenes, but in vain
The minor was reportedly dragged, beaten and subjected to an attempted strangulation before her mother intervened. She allegedly remained unconscious for around 30 to 40 minutes.
At the time, Nandani was reportedly at another house with Manmohan Pandey, a man whom she regarded as her brother.
The two men allegedly assaulted Manmohan before attacking Nandani. Police said she was beaten with a stick and her head was allegedly smashed against a wall. She was subsequently strangled with a scarf, leading to her death.
Nandani's mother was also allegedly assaulted and locked inside a room during the incident.
After the killing, both men allegedly fled the spot. Pichhore police reached the village after being informed and sent Nandani's body for post-mortem examination.
Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Saurabh Kumar said the incident was being investigated as a case of honour killing. Police have arrested Bhagwan Singh, while efforts are underway to trace Santosh.
Further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events and the motive behind the killing.
