Parents hurriedly cremate her, police official visits scene

Mystery shrouded the death of a 17-year-old girl at Redlapalle village of Shantipuram mandal in the Kuppam Assembly constituency.

According to information, the girl (17) who belongs to a Backward Class community, had fallen in love with a Dalit youth Nanda Kumar (19) of a neighbouring village, a couple of years ago. Three days ago, the lovers reportedly got married with the help of friends.

On Saturday evening, relatives of both sides met at the girl’s village, and reportedly reached an agreement on keeping the minor in the custody of her parents. The relatives of the boy posted the marriage photos on social media.

Case booked

Around midnight, the girl’s parents said that she had committed suicide by hanging unable to bear separation from her lover, and consigned the body to flames in fields.

Before dawn on Sunday, the ashes, bones and burnt sticks were put in gunny sacks and dumped in a village tank which falls under Karnataka limits. Later, the cremation site was swept clean.

Deputy SP (Palamaner) S. Arifullah, who visited the scene, told The Hindu that a case was registered under Section 174 IPC (suspicious death). Police recovered about seven gunny bags containing bones and burnt sticks from the tank.

They were sent for forensic examination.

Parents’ version

“The parents told us that their daughter committed suicide and that they performed the last rites immediately. After investigation, the sections could be altered accordingly,” he added.

Kuppam Circle Inspector (Rural) Krishna Prasad said: “We are trying to contact the boy and his parents.”

A similar incident is said to have taken place at a village near Kuppam town three days ago.

A girl, who got married to a youth among the relatives’ circle, had reportedly committed suicide, and the parents performed her cremation in a hurried manner.

A police official said that no complaint was received from any side on the issue.