Madikeri: Class 10 student’s murder in Surlabbi — Absconding accused nabbed

Madikeri: Police have nabbed the accused who went absconding after brutally killing a 16-year-old girl Meena in Surlabbi Village in Kodagu.

It is learnt that the accused Prakash (32) was arrested from his hometown of Hammiyala Village.

There were widespread speculations that he had committed suicide on Friday when the police intensified their search for the accused. But the District Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan denied these speculations. The SP informed on Saturday that the accused has been arrested and the investigation has been expedited.

Police had said that Prakash chopped off the victim Meena’s head and took it along with him after their proposed marriage was put off as she was a minor.

According to police, the girl had just completed her SSLC this year and her engagement was fixed with Prakash on Thursday.

However, someone informed the Child Helpline number and officials from the Child Welfare Department reached the girl, Meena’s house and counselled both the families saying that if they went ahead with the marriage, it would attract provisions of the POCSO Act and Child Marriage Act.

Both families then agreed that only after Meena attained the age of 18 she would be married to Prakash. The officials and the groom’s family then left the place.

However, at around 5.30 pm on Thursday, Prakash barged into Meena’s house, kicked her father and assaulted her mother with a sharp-edged weapon, generally used for cutting trees. He then dragged the girl outside for about 100 metres, chopped off her head and fled the scene with it, Superintendent of Police (Kodagu), Ramarajan K, told PTI.

The victim’s father and mother were admitted to a hospital where the woman was treated for her injuries. Her father did not receive any visible cut injuries, he said.

(with PTI inputs)