A 19-year-old woman, six months pregnant, has died in Hubballi, Karnataka, after a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by her own family over her inter-caste marriage. Manya succumbed to severe injuries at a private hospital on Sunday night after being targeted with pipes and agricultural equipment.
The Hubballi Rural Police have taken three people into custody, including the woman's father, as they investigate, the police find it to be a cold-blooded "honour killing".
The tragedy follows months of tension after Manya married a man from a different caste in May. Fearing for their safety, the couple had initially fled to Haveri, only returning to the husband’s village, Inam-Veerapur, earlier this month. Although there had been several attempts to reconcile the two families and prevent violence, the resentment clearly hadn't subsided. On the evening of the attack, the family first tried to ambush Manya’s husband and father-in-law in their fields. When the duo managed to escape, the attackers reportedly turned their fury toward the house.
Witnesses say the group barged into the home and launched a violent assault on Manya. A man and another woman who were present and tried to shield her were also caught in the fray, sustaining serious injuries themselves. Despite being rushed for emergency medical care, the young woman —who was well into her second trimester — could not be saved. A formal case has been registered as officers work to piece together the full timeline of the assault and identify any others involved.
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