JOIN USThe Karnataka High Court has ordered an inquiry into the death of Bhramarambika, a fourth semester LLB student of Seshadripuram Law College here, after some students of the college wrote to the court seeking a probe into what they see as a case of ‘honour killing’.
In a letter to Justice D V Shylendra Kumar, Bhramarambika’s classmates said the girl student’s death in her home village of Badi Maralur in Gowribidanur taluk in Chickaballapur district was shrouded in mystery.
According to the students, Bhrarambika went to her home town to prepare for her fourth semester examinations. She had appeared for the viva voce on May 10, 2012. The semester examinations were scheduled in June. On the morning of May 20, her classmates received a message stating that she was dead. Shocked, they rushed to her village. But by the time they reached, her body had already been cremated.
Conflicting versions
When the students inquired about the cause of death, the family members reportedly came up with conflicting versions. While some family members claimed she had committed suicide by slitting her throat, another said she had consumed poison. Yet another version was that she suffered a heart attack while seated on chair and had fallen down and died.
The classmates were perplexed when some family members blurted out that severe vomiting and food poisoning led to her death. Deepening the mystery, residents of the village too were in the dark about the cause of the death.
It was then the students decided to write a letter to the High Court. In their letter dated May 28, 2012, the students wrote to Justice Shylendra Kumar, narrating the entire episode, and expressing their suspicion that it was a case of honour killing. The judge forwarded the letter to the Chief Justice.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna has now directed the State government to look into the matter and report in three weeks.
The court has also appointed an amicus curiae to assist the court and issued notices to State government, the Director General and Inspector General of Police and Superintendent of Police, Chikkaballapur.