U.S. Meena, the only student in the 10th class of Government High School, Surlabbi, Somwarpet taluk, was brutally murdered recently. She scored 314 marks in the examination and passed. In the midst of this happiness, it has come to light that the family had arranged her to get engaged to Prakash (32) from the neighboring village of Hammiyala for her marriage. Officials of the Social Welfare Department, who came to know about this, visited the student’s house and made her aware of the law against marriage before the age of 18. Then both the families decided to marry Meena after she turns 18 years of age.
However, in the evening, Prakash visited the house and allegedly claimed that he could not wait till she became a major and instead wanted to marry her at the earliest. When her parents refused, enraged by this, Prakash assaulted her father and mother dragged Meena a little distance and cut off her head.
Deceased Meena is survived by her father, mother, three sisters and two brothers. Meena is the last daughter. The mother, who was injured by Prakash’s assault, has been admitted to the Mysore hospital for further treatment.
As Meena was brutally murdered, her father, mother and family members were provided police security. Additional police personnel have been deployed near Surlabbi’s house
The police carried out search operations for the suspect after the incidence. Acting on a tip-off information that he was hiding in a forest near the village, the police rushed to the spot and arrested him. After inquiry, the police also recovered the severed head, weapon and rifle.
Kodagu Superintendent of Police (SP) K Ramarajan after investigation with the accused informed about the incident in a press conference that the delay in marriage was the main reason behind the crime and further said that 34-year-old Prakash was in a close relationship with 16-year-old Meena for many days. SP also said that from the accused the police recovered bullet buried gun in the bush and severed head of Meena.
SP further stated that the victim’s elder sister was urging her parents to educate her younger sister instead of marriage. Saddened by their decision to marry her off, she had not even attended the engagement. SP also informed that the accused Prakash also had plans of killing her sister since she was insisting for further studies and opposing marriage at the early age and by arresting Prakash at the right time they saved the life of some innocent people.
