Man electrocutes daughter before axing her for 'honour'

In a shocking incident, a man allegedly axed his daughter to death in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad district, about 325 kilometres from here, over her love affair with a youth of a different caste.

According to the police sources here, the man, identified as Harivansh Kumar, a resident of Salempur Khutiyana village in the district, surrendered before the cops after perpetrating the crime.

Sources said that Harivansh's daughter Priya (name changed) had been having an affair with a youth of a different caste. Her father did not approve of their relationship and had warned her over the same.

Police said that Harivansh was furious after he saw his daughter with her lover on Sunday night.

A little later, a furious Harivansh allegedly electrocuted an unsuspecting Priya, who was sleeping in her room. He hit her repeatedly with an axe, when she lost consciousness.

''Harivansh informed us about the crime and surrendered at the police station...he admitted that he killed his daughter for the sake of family's honour,'' said a police official in Firozabad.

''Despite my repeated warnings, she (Priya) did not stop seeing her lover, who hailed from a different caste....her relationship caused huge embarrassment to the family,'' he told the cops, according to the police.

Honour killings were quite common in Uttar Pradesh, especially the Jat-dominated western region. The powerful 'khaps' (caste panchayats) have made it clear that they will not allow love marriages. Many lovers have been killed for the sake of family honour in the state in the past.