Lovers killed for 'family honour'

A girl and her lover were brutally hacked to death allegedly for the sake of family honour in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, about 150 kilometres from here.

The police cracked the case on Wednesday after the culprits confessed to killing.

Officials said 18-year-old Sushila Kumari was having an affair with Vinod Kumar, who had been married to her cousin. Sushila too had got married three years ago and her gauna (the time after marriage a girl spends at her parents’ house before going to her husband’s house) was scheduled for April 24 next year.

Opposing marriage, the girl wanted to live with Vinod and had eloped with him a fortnight back. Following the incident, her family members had lodged report with the police accusing Vinod of kidnapping her.

The lovers were caught by the family members about a week ago, police said. In a panchayat of the family members and other relatives of the girl, a decision to kill Vinod was taken after he refused to leave her. He was killed on February 11 last year and his body was dumped in a nearby field.

The girl was given poison a few days later and her body was dumped nearby Vinod’s body to make the killings look like a suicide, police said.

Interrogation revealed that family members were behind the murders. A case has been registered against five persons, including Sushila's parents and her two brothers. Four persons have arrested.