Femi Ashekun/
Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly beheading his 19-year-old pregnant sister.
The victim’s mother allegedly held her legs as the brother severs her head with a sickle.
The boy and his mother also took a selfie with the victim’s head, police said.
According to the police, the woman had eloped and married a man of her choice without her family’s consent.
She was making tea for her brother and mother when she was attacked with a sickle.
The teenager and his mother then surrendered to the police.
The brother was sent to a remand home for juveniles after his lawyer said he was less than 18 years old. However, a police official said they would contest this claim in court as they had found a certificate that showed him to be an adult. Their mother remained in police custody.
The incident reportedly took place in Aurangabad district.
Reports say the victim had eloped in June and married her lover after her family objected to their relationship.
Despite the fact that they both belonged to the same caste, her family did not approve of him since his family was poorer than theirs.
The young woman didn’t contact her family much after her marriage but h
Her mother had reportedly visited her a week before the murder and knew that she was pregnant.
Campaigners say hundreds of people are killed each year in India for falling in love or marrying against their families’ wishes.
These murders are often called “honour killings”, referring to the age-old notions of tradition and family honour which are still deeply entrenched in many parts of Indian society.
In March, police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh arrested a man for allegedly beheading his daughter. He was heard saying in a video shot by the police that he had killed her for being in a relationship he didn’t approve of.
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