Chittoor Honour Killing: Woman Dies After Interfaith Marriage

A young woman who entered into an interfaith marriage died under suspicious circumstances at her parental home in Chittoor district, prompting allegations of honour killing. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, only came to light late last night.

According to police accounts, Yasmin Banu (26), a resident of Balaji Nagar in Chittoor and an MBA graduate, fell in love with Sai Teja, a B.Tech graduate, during their college days. Their relationship eventually led to plans for marriage. However, Yasmin's parents—Shoukat Ali and Mumtaz—strongly opposed the union, as Sai Teja belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.

Defying family objections, the couple got married on February 9, this year, in Nellore. Fearing threats to their lives from Yasmin’s family, they approached the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Tirupati on February 13 to seek protection. The police then summoned both families and conducted a counseling session before sending them away.

In the weeks that followed, Yasmin’s family began speaking to her over the phone again. Her father, Shoukat Ali, reportedly claimed he was unwell and repeatedly urged Yasmin to visit him. On Sunday morning, Sai Teja accompanied his wife to the Gandhi Statue Junction in Chittoor, where she got into a car belonging to her brother and left for her parental home.

Soon after, when Sai Teja tried to call Yasmin, she did not respond, raising his suspicions. He rushed to her family home, only to be informed indifferently that Yasmin was not there and had died by suicide and that her body had been moved to the government hospital mortuary.

Horrified, Sai Teja went to the hospital, where he discovered his wife’s body and broke down in tears. He alleged that Yasmin had been murdered by her own family and that the incident was being staged as a suicide.

Police have registered a case of suspicious death and launched an investigation. The police are currently searching for Yasmin's father, Shoukat Ali, and her maternal cousin, Lalu, who are absconding.