(MENAFN- IANS) Kalaburagi, Aug 30 (IANS) In a suspected case of honour killing, a man allegedly murdered his daughter and then burnt her body over her inter caste affair in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district.

The incident occurred in Melakunda village in Kalaburagi taluk, within the jurisdiction of the Farhatabad police station.

The accused, identified as Shankar Kolkur, has been arrested.

The police are searching for the other two accused, Sharanu and Dattappa, who assisted him in the crime.

According to the police, the victim, 18-year-old Kavitha from the Lingayat community, was a second-year pre-university student (Class 12).

Kavitha, who was travelling to Kalaburagi city for her studies, was in a relationship with Malappa Poojari, a young man from the Kuruba community from the same village.

Four months ago, her family discovered her relationship and stopped her from attending college.

During this time, Kavitha challenged her parents, stating she would only marry Malappa and would elope with him if they did not agree.

Kavitha's family opposed her and threatened her not to take such a drastic step. However, Kavitha remained firm, insisting that she would marry the person she was in love with.

According to the police, her father, Shankar, and the two relatives strangled her to death. They then tried to make it seem as if she had died after consuming a pesticide. Afterwards, they transported her body to a relative's farm and burned it.

When the police learned of the incident, they immediately went to the scene and arrested the accused father. The police have filed a suo motu case.

Kalaburagi Police Commissioner D. S. Sharanappa and other senior officers visited the location.

The situation has caused tension in the village, and the police are conducting a further investigation.

Kavitha's mother, Mallmma, shared that her husband, Kolkur, recently won over his 20-year-old liquor addiction. However, he started consuming liquor again after getting to know about the inter-caste relationship of his daughter.

Mallmma went on to say that "Kavitha was adamant to marry the guy from the family, which was not on good terms with us".

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