A casual relationship that started on social media took a fatal turn as a 39-year-old woman – an SC/ST activist and handicrafts worker at Kala Sarathi – was murdered, allegedly by her teenage daughter and the girl’s 19-year-old boyfriend. Detailing the crime, the police said the boyfriend and his brother first allegedly strangled the woman, left thinking she was dead, and then returned and bludgeoned her when the daughter realised she was still breathing.
The incident occurred on the night of June 23 in a suburb of Hyderabad. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Balanagar Zone) P Naresh Reddy said that the woman (her name has been withheld since her daughter is a minor) was strangled and bludgeoned with a hammer, allegedly by her 16-year-old daughter’s boyfriend P Shiva, who was assisted by his brother Yashwant. Shiva is a DJ and hails from Nalgonda district, police said.
“The teenage daughter met Shiva on social media about eight months ago. They used to meet frequently, and her mother came to know of her relationship and objected to it. The victim, a worker at Kala Sarathi, was a single mother raising two daughters, and the 16-year-old is the elder of the two. On June 19, she eloped with Shiva, and her mother lodged a missing complaint at the local police station. We tracked her down and brought her home,” Inspector T Raju said.
“We came to know that her mother chided her for leaving home. On the evening of June 23, the girl allegedly called Shiva, saying her mother was opposing their relationship. Late at night, she allegedly opened the door for Shiva and Yashwant, who attacked the woman and strangled her with a chunni and saree. When she stopped breathing, the duo thought she had died and fled. However, the daughter found that she was still breathing and allegedly called her boyfriend again. He and his brother allegedly bludgeoned her with a hammer, smashing her skull and nose. She died on the spot,” Raju said.
At 11:30 pm, the girl called up her aunt and relatives and claimed that her mother had fallen out of a chair and hurt herself badly, and they informed the police. Police have arrested all three accused.
The victim’s elder sister said, “She lost her husband a few years ago, and really struggled in life. She was working with Kala Sarathi, producing handicraft goods. She was also active in the mahila mandal, and was a member of the local SC/ST cell fighting for equal rights.”
