Honor killing in Uttar Pradesh: 16-year-old girl murdered by father and grandfather over love affair

Unknown girl
born: 2007
stabbed to death: 29 April 2023
Residence: Uttar Pradesh
Origin: India
Children: none
Perpetrators: Radheyshyam Kewat, Sitaram and one other person

In Uttar Pradesh, India, on Saturday, April 29, 2023, a 16-year-old girl was murdered by her own father and grandfather after her family objected to her relationship with a boy from the village. The victim's body was found in the Rapti River. Police arrested the father, Radheyshyam Kewat, grandfather Sitaram and another person named Lahri for this atrocity.

According to police spokesman Amit Kumar Anand, the family was against the girl's relationship with the boy from the village. On the day of the incident, they were on their way home from a relative's house when they again tried to stop the girl from seeing the boy, but she refused to be deterred. In a fit of rage, the suspects killed the girl with a knife, put her body in a bag and threw her into the river.

Regrettably, this is not the first instance of honor killings, where young individuals become targets due to their personal choices. It is crucial to take strict actions against such practices and empower individuals to make their own choices without fear of repercussions.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.