Dalit Woman Killed, Set on Fire by Lover in Andhra, Parents Say She Was Being Harassed for Months

Hyderabad: A 19-year-old Dalit woman was brutally murdered allegedly by her boyfriend in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Tuesday.

The victim, Snehalatha, was a contractual employee in State Bank of India’s Dharmavaram Branch. She left for office in the morning but did not return home in the evening. When her parents found her phone switched off, they lodged a complaint in the Anantapur One Town Police Station. Her body was found at Bandannapally of Dharmavaram Mandal on Wednesday morning.

Snehalatha’s parents accused her a man identified as Rajesh and his friend Karthik of the murder. They said Rajesh had been harassing their daughter on the pretext of love and they had complained to the police about it.

According to police, Rajesh forcibly took Snehalatha on to a field near Badannapalli on his two-wheeler at 6.45 and killed her by slitting her throat. To conceal the identity, he burnt the bank papers she was carrying and put them on her body, due to which her body was partially burnt. No evidence of sexual assault was found, police said.

After committing the crime, he allegedly went home and started having alcohol with his friend Karthik.

The police have registered a case and launched a comprehensive investigation.

In another shocking incident in the Jagitial District of Telangana, a woman was attacked with acid by an unknown person. The incident took place in Thimmappur thanda in Ibrahimpatnam Mandal.

According to police, Bhukya Swati of Thimmappur Thanda was married to Ravi of Dabba village five years ago. Ravi died six months ago. Swati had recently visited Thimmapur to attend an event and then gone to Mettapalli on work on Wednesday morning. On her way home, three unidentified persons wearing helmets poured acid on her face and fled the scene. The right side of her face was severely burned in the attack.

Locals rushed to her help and got her admitted to the Metpally Government Hospital. Police said the case is being registered and investigated as per the victim’s complaint.

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