Indian Man Arrested After Allegedly Beheading Daughter in “Honor Killing”

In a disturbing story — that I should say more reliable news sources have not verified — a man in India was arrested on the charge of murdering his own 17-year-old daughter for being in a relationship with someone he disliked.

Sarvesh Kumar, from the state of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly confessed to the “honor killing” after he was stopped by police:

In the video, the man says that he had recently found out about this daughter’s relationship and that had made him very angry.

He is heard saying that he found her alone at home, locked her in a room and beheaded her with a sharp object.

Alarmed at the sight of a man walking with a severed head, local people alerted the police.

The man told the police that he had left the body and the murder weapon “in the room” and was on his way to the police station.

While it’s not clear what religion Kumar belongs to or what it was that led him to this attack, so-called “honor killings” remain a rampant problem in India and neighboring Pakistan. Violence against women, in general, is an issue:

According to the BBC, while there are no official statistics, hundreds of people are believed to be killed in India every year by family members over relationships or marriages that went against the wishes of their parents or other elders.

Honor crime is just one aspect of a much wider problem of violence against women and girls that India has been grappling with for years. The BBC said that statistics compiled by India’s National Crime Records Bureau showed more crimes were committed against women last year in Uttar Pradesh than any other Indian state.

Again, these kinds of stories — especially when reported by the BBC — sometimes turn out to be anecdotal. I have yet to see any pictures, nor do I especially want to. But even if this particular story can’t be corroborated, there’s ample evidence that women face unwarranted consequences because they date or marry someone outside their family’s religion or caste. Unless the culture changes, these stories will never go away.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Scott for the link)