Newlywed couple from Hyderabad becomes victim of honour killing, husband strangled to death

HYDERABAD: In a case of honour killing, a newlywed youngster Hemanth Kumar was kidnapped from his home at Chandanagar in the city, his murdered body was later found in Sangareddy district late on Thursday night.

Hemanth and Avanti were married for four months. Cyberabad Police who is investigating the case, found out that Avanti’s family is behind the murder. Additional DCP Madhapur M Venkateshwarlu said, Avanti’s maternal uncle Yugandhar Reddy and two others strangled Hemanth to death. More than ten persons have already been detained in this case. Further investigation is underway, he said.

The couple who had been in a relationship for around four years and got married in June 2020 at the Sub Registrar Office, Quthbullapur. Hemanth had completed his graduation, while Avanthi had completed engineering. Avanti alleged that her maternal uncle Yugandhar Reddy is the main person behind the murder and that her parents are also involved in the murder.

Hemanth and Avanti were residing at Chandanagar in the city. On Thursday afternoon, Hemanth called up his father Murali Krishna, and informed him that Avanti’s family members had come to their home.

Murali told that he had gone thinking they might have come to compromise. But when he reached, he saw the family members forcefully taking away Hemanth and Avanti in a car. 

Hearing Hemanth shouting for help, Murali Krishna followed the car on his scooter. When the car reached Gopanpally tanda, the couple tried to move out of the vehicle. While Avanti managed to escape, they whisked Hemanth away. Meanwhile, alerted by Murali Krishna through Dial 100, police rushed to the spot.

Avanti said that there was a delay from the police in responding to the incident.

"Even when we informed police about the threat, there was no response. Had they responded immediately I would not have lost my husband," she said.

She added that after their marriage, her father Laxma Reddy had warned them not to be in touch with any family members from their side and even made her sign documents, stating that she has no right on any property owned by her family.

Murali Krishna said that they had killed his son, only because that was not a match to their financial status.

"Or they could have thought that we would fight for their properties, after the recent Supreme Court judgment giving the right to daughters also on parents’ property,” he said

Gachibowli Inspector R Srinivas said there was no delay in the response and that the suspects were immediately nabbed and based on their confessions, Hemanth’s body was traced at Sangareddy district.