Banda horror: Father allegedly kills daughter over love marriage during counselling

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her father during a counselling session in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district after she insisted on living with a man she had married against her family's wishes, police said.

The shocking incident took place in the Badousa police station area on Thursday and has triggered widespread outrage across the district.

According to police, the woman had been in a relationship with a young man from her neighbourhood. On May 18, she left home with him, prompting her family to file a complaint. A case was subsequently registered and police launched a search operation to trace her.

Banda Superintendent of Police Palash Bansal said the woman was found safe on June 12 and brought back as part of the legal process. Her parents were informed and were called for discussions and counselling with police officials.

During the interaction, the woman reportedly maintained that she wanted to stay with her husband. Police said she had married the man after leaving home and was unwilling to return to her family despite repeated attempts by relatives and officials to persuade her otherwise.

According to investigators, tensions escalated during the counselling session when her father suddenly attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, stabbing her in the abdomen.

The injured woman was rushed to the Atarra Community Health Centre and later referred to a medical college for advanced treatment. However, doctors declared her dead.

SP Bansal said that based on a complaint lodged by the victim's mother, police registered a murder case against the woman's father. The accused has been taken into custody and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered.

"The woman had been safely recovered and her family was informed. During counselling and discussions with her parents, her father attacked her with a sharp weapon. A case has been registered and the accused has been detained. Further legal proceedings are underway," the SP said.

Police have sent the body for post-mortem examination and initiated further investigation into the case.

The incident has drawn attention across Banda, with many describing it as a suspected case of honour killing. However, police have so far registered the case as murder and said further investigation will determine all circumstances leading to the killing.

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With inputs from Siddharth Gupta