20-year-old woman found dead in Bengaluru Lake: Father claims accident, boyfriend alleges ‘honour killing’

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A 20-year-old woman was found dead in Huskur Lake in southeast Bengaluru on Tuesday evening. While her father said they both fell into the lake after his motorcycle lost control, her boyfriend has alleged that she was killed in the name of 'family honour'.

The woman, identified as R Sahana, worked at a private company and was the daughter of Ramamurthy, a resident of Ramohalli in Huskur. A drenched Ramamurthy rushed to Hebbagodi police station in the evening on Tuesday and told officers that he was riding his bike with Sahana as a pillion when they both fell into the lake. He claimed he managed to swim to safety, but his daughter could not.

Police reached the spot and retrieved Sahana’s body from the water. Ramamurthy told the police that he dozed off while riding the bike, as he had not slept the previous night due to being upset over his daughter’s love affair.

Based on his statement, police registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 106 for causing death by negligence. However, Sahana’s boyfriend, Nitin, accused Ramamurthy of killing her because he opposed their inter-caste marriage.

Nitin, who also works for a private company, said he and Sahana had been in love for over a year, but her family did not approve of their relationship.

Nitin claimed that on Monday Ramamurthy called him to his friend’s house, where Sahana and her mother were also present. When the couple expressed their desire to marry, Ramamurthy became upset and refused the proposal.

Nitin believes Sahana was pushed into the lake and that the accident story is false. He has also alleged that she was beaten before being thrown into the water.

Police have recovered the motorcycle from the lake. They found no visible injuries on Sahana’s body, but they are waiting for the autopsy report to confirm the cause of death.