BALANGIR: Kailash Tanla, the main accused in honour killing incident in Balangir, was arrested by Balangir GRP from Badmal under Saintala police limits on Friday. Kailash of Khuntsanlei in Patnagarh sub-division of the district has admitted to have killed his daughter for honour.
After killing his daughter Geeta (17) last month, he fled to Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu but returned to Badmal a few days back.
Gita fell in love with a boy Naresh Tandi of Sradhapur under Bongamunda police limits while working in a brick kiln in Vijayawada. But Gita’s father was opposed to their relationship as the boy belonged to a different caste. Things took a turn after Gita became pregnant and came back home with Naresh. Naresh’s family members did not accept their relationship. On May 20, Gita was driven out of Naresh’s house. This further fuelled Kailash’s anger who hatched a plot to kill Gita. Aware of Kailash’s anger, Gita’s grandmother Mem Tanla took her to her sister’s place in Tarbha in neighbouring Sonepur district. But Kailash gave a false promise to his daughter that he was willing to marry her off with Naresh. Kailash went to the place where Gita was staying and on their way back home, he strangulated her with her ‘dupatta’ to death at a secluded place near Malgodam area. Meanwhile, the Child Welfare Committee has rehabilitated the two siblings of Gita.
OHRC seeks report
The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Friday directed the Collector and the SP of Balangir district to submit a report on the matter. They have been asked to reply within two weeks. Acting Chairperson Justice BK Mishra also asked the Executive Officer of Balangir Municipality to submit a report in this regard basing on the petition filed by human rights activists Biswapriya Kanungo and Bijay Panda. Both Kanungo and Panda stated that Balangir Police must investigate the murder while district administration should probe the chain of circumstances which led to the incident. The petitioners also pointed out the manner in which the victim’s body was disposed of by the municipal authorities.