Tumakuru (Karnataka), May 18 (IANS): A suspected honour killing has come to light in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district after police arrested 48-year-old Timmarayappa for allegedly murdering his 17-year-old daughter Meghana, a Class 11 student and resident of Nimbemaradahalli village under the Kallambella Police Station jurisdiction. According to police, Timmarayappa allegedly killed his daughter on April 16 after strongly objecting to her relationship with a distant relative from her mother’s side, subsequently burying her body near a water body close to his farmland before pretending to search for her by claiming she had gone missing. Meghana had stopped attending college six months before her death and had been staying at home, with her mother having advised her to focus on her studies and wait until she turned 18 before taking any decisions regarding marriage. Three days after Meghana went missing, her mother filed a complaint with the police after failing to trace her through inquiries with neighbours and relatives.
Suspicion fell on the father about a week after the complaint was lodged, when he allegedly left home claiming he was searching for his daughter and his prolonged absence raised concerns, prompting Meghana’s mother to inform the police. Upon his return to the village, Timmarayappa was detained and questioned, initially claiming he had travelled to the pilgrimage centres of Tirupati and Dharmasthala, but later allegedly confessing to the crime. Police have completed the mahazar process and the post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted in the presence of the Additional Commissioner and the Tahsildar. Further investigation into the case is currently underway.