An Indian mother and her teenage son have been arrested for decapitating her 19-year-old pregnant daughter with a sickle and parading the severed head around their neighborhood before allegedly taking a selfie.
Gruesome crime: The incident, which was suspected to be a case of honor killing, occurred in the city of Vaijapur in the Indian state of Maharashtra on Sunday, according to The Indian Express.
- Kirti Avinash Thore was reportedly staying at her husband’s home in Ladgaon village when her 18-year-old brother, Sanket Mote, and their 38-year-old mother, Shobhabai Mote, visited her, said Vaijapur senior police official Kailash Prajapati. Kitri’s 21-year-old husband, Avinash Thore, was said to be resting in another room when the two suspects arrived.
- The deceased victim invited the two inside her home, which she shared with her husband. As she prepared tea, her brother reportedly “attacked her from behind with a sickle while the mother caught her daughter’s legs,” Prajapati told CNN. He also said that Sanket struck his sister four times before he beheaded her.
- “They then picked up the head and kept it outside the house in the yard and left the body inside,” Prajapati continued. Thore was reportedly 2 months pregnant when she was murdered.
- Witnesses claimed the two suspects paraded the severed head around and later took a selfie with it. The picture in question was reportedly deleted, Vice reported.
- “We suspect that the mother and son took a selfie with her head. We have sent the phone to the forensic lab to try and retrieve the photo. The duo then left on the bike,” Prajapati said.
- The victim’s husband was awakened by the incident and immediately ran to the kitchen. Police claim he managed to escape from the house after Thore’s brother also attempted to murder him.
The aftermath: Both mother and son eventually went to the police station to turn themselves in. Authorities are now investigating the murder after finding Thore’s decapitated head and body.
- The victim’s brother has been placed in a juvenile home while her mother remains in police custody.
- Although some reports claim that the boy is a minor, BBC noted that an unnamed police official had found a certificate proving him to be a legal adult.
Prior events: Thore eloped and married her husband in June after her parents objected to their relationship due to his family’s financial status, despite both families being of the same caste.
- Thore’s father, Sanjay reportedly left home and returned several days later, having felt insulted by his daughter’s actions. The family eventually filed a missing person’s case for her. Thore came to the police station a week later to announce that she had gotten married.
- The marriage allegedly created a gap between Thore and her family, and she barely communicated with them after her marriage; however, around one week before the murder, her mother saw her and was reportedly aware she was pregnant.
- It is unclear if the victim’s father has any connection to the murder.
- The murder could potentially be an honor killing, wherein a person is killed by their own relatives for bringing dishonor to their family. India recorded 145 incidents of honor killings between 2017 and 2019, according to India Today. Last year, 23 honor killings were reported in the South Asian country, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
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