South Asia News

Father kills daughter in "honour killing" in western India

May 13, 2008, 9:01 GMT

New Delhi - A 19-year-old girl was murdered by her father in India's western state of Gujarat for marrying against the wishes of the family, media reports said Tuesday.

The victim, Vandana Bhadodiya was shot by her father - Jayvirsingh Bhadodiya - and later struck on the head with an axe, the CNN-IBN reported, describing it as the second case of an 'honour killing' in India since last week.

Witnesses told the PTI news agency that the incident took place at the family residence in eastern Vadodara city on Monday after Bhadodiya, unhappy with the marriage of his daughter to a man of her choice, called her home.

Soon after she reached the house, Bhadodiya shot her with his revolver. When some locals tried to come to her rescue, Bhadodiya pulled her inside the house and killed her with an axe, the report said.

Locals also alleged that Vandana's mother and sister also helped Bhadodiya in killing her. The victim's mother Kusumben Bhadodiya said the marriage was not approved by the family since the man belonged to a different caste.

The incident comes close on the heels of a girl and her lover being killed by family members in a village in the northern state of Haryana on May 9.

Honour killings are not uncommon in Indian states and community leaders often give extra-judicial rulings condemning couples for marrying 'out of caste' or against social norms.

Bodies of a young couple were recovered from a canal in Kaithal district of Haryana in 2007 after they were murdered by the woman's kinsmen.

In another incident last year, a 24-year-old man who eloped with a girl in Gujarat was tied to a tractor and dragged around a village before being hacked to death.