Telangana woman, 26, traced and beheaded by in-laws over land dispute
A 26-year-old woman was beheaded by her in-laws in Telangana's Mahabubnagar district after a dispute over 1.5 acres of agricultural land turned violent. Sunitha was intercepted while visiting the disputed land and attacked with sharp-edged weapons, police said.
The dispute over 1.5 acres of agricultural land arose after its ownership was transferred to the victim, Katrawath Sunitha, instead of her husband, as part of a settlement facilitated by village elders.
Sunitha had married Katrawath Balaram around 10-12 years ago, and the couple have two daughters. As Balaram was reportedly suffering from mental health issues, village elders intervened and facilitated a settlement under which 1.5 acres of agricultural land was transferred to Sunitha's name to secure her and her children's future.
However, the land settlement is suspected to have triggered tensions within the family, eventually leading to the murder.
Police said Sunitha had recently returned to the village and was visiting the agricultural land when her in-laws intercepted her. She was then taken to their house, where she was attacked with sharp-edged weapons and beheaded. The attackers fled from the scene after the murder.
Based on a complaint lodged by Sunitha's father, Valya Naik, Telangana Police registered a murder case against four people -- Manya Naik, Pandu Naik, Parvathi and Manikya Naik.
Circle Inspector Gandhi Naik and Sub-Inspector Nagaraju are supervising the investigation. Sunitha's body was shifted for a postmortem examination, while police launched a search operation to trace and arrest the accused, who fled after the crime.
The investigation is under way to establish the sequence of events leading to the murder and determine the role of each of the four accused.- Ends
Principal Correspondent at India Today. Reporting from Hyderabad Bureau. Basheer has keen interest in political stories, analysis, and crime stories. He keeps close watch on all happenings in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A law graduate, journalist by passion and profession.
