CUTTACK: The death of a minor girl under mysterious circumstances in Kothamula village of Anlo gram panchayat under Niali block recently is suspected to be a case of ‘honour killing’.According to sources, the minor girl, who was living along with her mother in her paternal uncle’s house after the death of her father, was in love with a youth of the locality to which her family members and relatives were opposing. Despite strong opposition too her affair from her family members, she insisted on getting married to the youth.
On the fateful day, the girl had gone to Bilasuni Dahijanga to witness an opera show, the family members said. After returning from the opera, she started vomiting next morning and her family members took her to Adaspur CHC. But, she died on the way. The family brought the body back and performed cremation.
But the villagers told the police that the girl’s family members hurriedly carried her body to the cremation ground and consigned her to flame without even informing the neighbours and others in the village. They suspected it to be an honour killing.
Suspecting foul play, a team of police headed by Cuttack Sadar SDPO Jitendra Dalai and IIC, Niali police station Shraban Kumar Maharana exhumed ashes and bones from the cremation ground. “The remains of the girl will be sent for forensic examination to ascertain the cause of death,” said Dalai. Five persons, including the girl’s paternal uncle, aunt, cousins and sister-in law have been detained in police station and are being interrogated, he added.