A couple in West Bengal was arrested on Saturday for allegedly killing their 16-year-old daughter and dumping her body in the Ganga river in Malda district, Hindustan Times reported. The incident took place in Mahendratola village in Bhootni area of Malda district.
The couple, Dhiren Mondal and Sumati Mondal, was allegedly against their daughter’s relationship with a boy from a neighbouring village. The police suspect it to be a caste killing. The girl, a Class 9 student, was in a relationship with a 17-year-old boy. “The accused indicated that Achinta belonged to a lower caste though he shared the same surname,” an unidentified police officer said.
“The parents of the victim Dhiren Mondal and Sumati Mondal have been arrested for killing their daughter,” said officer in charge of Bhootni police station Abhisekh Talukdar. “We have started a suo-motu case against the two and IPC Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) were slapped against them.”
An unidentified police officer said a quarrel broke out between the girl and her parents over her relationship on Friday. The parents strangled her, put her body into a gunny bag and disposed the body in the Ganga river, according to PTI. The body is yet to be recovered.
The officer said the couple planned to drop the gunny bag in the middle of the river. On Friday evening, the couple took a small boat from a local ghat without informing its owner. “When the owner of the boat started looking for it, he came to know that Dhiren and Sumati had boarded it with a gunny bag,” the officer said. The boat owner and other villagers confronted the couple and questioned them about their daughter, following which the police were informed.
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