JAIPUR: An Indian father cut off his daughter's head and paraded it around his village after becoming enraged over her relationships with men, police in the western state of Rajasthan said Tuesday.
Oghad Singh, a marble mine worker, used a sword to behead his 22-year-old daughter Manju, who was married three years ago but had become estranged from her husband.
"The accused was disturbed with his daughter's extra-marital affairs so he took this extreme step," Rahul Katkey, superintendent of police in Rajsamand district, 330 kilometres (200 miles) from Jaipur, told AFP by telephone.
Singh walked out of his home on Sunday evening holding his daughter's head in one hand and the bloodied sword in the other before a neighbour persuaded him to give himself up in the remote village of Doongar Ji Ka Gurha.
Police said that in his statement Singh said he had repeatedly pleaded with her to end her affairs and stay at home, and that he showed no remorse after killing her.
Katkey said Singh, who was immediately arrested, told officers that he had murdered his daughter in a fit of anger as she was "causing insult to him in society".
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Seems we are divided for 60+ years but the problems and mentalities are still the same.
Where's Asma Jehangir now?!?!
@1984
Just to let you know there is no caste system in Islam, all human are equal in front of God....some SouthAsian muslims (particularly from Punjab, Sindh, UP, Bihar) do have a caste system and that is one of the influences of having lived with hindus and sikhs over a thousand years and a lack of knowlege of Islam.
@Bonton: "We all criticized this man. Truly this was tragic and form of honor killing. My question to forum here is, and please don’t take offense to my statement. What would you do as a father if you had daughter having extra martial affair in your house. When all the villagers are complaining to control your daughter. Is disowning enough?"
You are assuming that a punishment is warranted because other people are complaining. In other words, their feelings are more important than your own daughters. Perhaps if she is estranged from the husband and the husband is at fault, after making all attempts to reconcile, I would get her divorced so she can remarry and restart her life. Surely you do not expect a 22 year old girl to spend 60 more years of her life without any partner?
@Shafi Hamdulla: "the honour killing has direct relation to religion also"
Honour kiling is a cultural practice that is found in Middle East and South Asia. I do not believe any religion supports it.
@Bruce Banner: "Now lets see what the Indian commenters here have to say with their holier-than-thou attitude."
I like many other Indian agree this is horrendous. Based on prior honour killings, I know that this father will not go unpunished. HE will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law which is not something that can be taken for granted. (Yes your CJ did take suo moto notice in Kohistan case due to media attention but the local police and prosecution do not as a matter of course prosecute people guilty of honour killing.
The difference between India and Pakistan is that when such incident occurs, no-one in India will try to justify honour killings by saying 'they also occur in Pakistan'. Nor will anyone use religion to justify such heinous practices
@Someone: "Interesting to see that no one is blaming hindusim or sikhism when a singh commits a crime against women, but when a khan or siddiqui commits the same crime all the non muslims flock to bash islam" I do not think non-Muslims would bring Islam as a religion in to the debate and condemn it when such instances occur in an Islamic country. I did see in Tribune itself where many Muslims quoted scriptures to justify honour killing instead. It may very well be there own misunderstanding of the religion that makes them use religious scriptures to justify rather than quoting tradition or cultural practice. It is also true that likelihood of such a person being convicted in a country that calls itself Islamic (KSA, Iran, Pakistan) are much less than a democracy.
the honour killing has direct relation to religion also. mainly islam and hinduism. rural people are bigoted and nomadic especially in northern India and Tamilnadu,Andhra. they have practices like tit for tat an eye for an eye. badla system and parallel courts. union government is slowly eradicating this menace through support of education. in India, a hindu or muslim from same region have the same bigotry due to the north indian or tamil culture of violence. I hope urbanization takes over. no one have right to kill or target another person. be it a father about his unruly daughter or son or wife whatever. or religionists against apostates.
We all criticized this man. Truly this was tragic and form of honor killing. My question to forum here is, and please don't take offense to my statement.
What would you do as a father if you had daughter having extra martial affair in your house. When all the villagers are complaining to control your daughter. Is disowning enough?
Thanks
@someone: I would kindly request you to read my previous comment again.I responded to @hamza khan's sarcasm who in turn responded to '@mr. righty rightist' comment that the culprit will be punished.
I just made clear a point that "Dishonor Killing" is not treated leniently by Indian law and when I meant Islamic countries,I meant the law of the countries,not the religion. You may call European countries as christian countries,but their laws may not correspond to the Christian laws....and nowhere did I bash Islam(If you feel I did,please quote the line from my comment)
BTW,I dont exactly agree with the fact that Honor killing is based on caste and Islam rooted out caste,because 1.There are castes in Islam too(you must know,you are from South Asia) 2.That doesnt explain the killings in Middle East and in Western world.
P.S. Mods:I dont know why my previous comment was not published.I hope I didnt violate your guidelines
just proves that honour killings have nothing to do with Islam....it is a cultural/social practice that is prevalent in parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern India
@Rajendra Rana: Exactly.......and unfortunately, our indian friends seems to forget that most of the times!. Much needs to change in our part of the world.
@someone: stopped typing for a second to clap at your comment. literally. well explained.
This is called Honour Killing
@1984: There are laws against Honor killings too, and many other predominantly-Muslim countries, even in Pakistan people have been prosecuted and some people have been punished for honor killings, unfortunately many people are not charged because of the corrupt police and judiciary.
These sort of things happen. What's important is how society reacts to these atrocities by individual. Does the court convict him? Does society looks down on him or does it throw rose petals at him? These are the things which are important. The guy could have disowned his daughter if he felt that she was living an immoral life even after his advise. Killing is not a solution for these sort of issues.
We are people with same genes and culture on both side of border ,only religion do us apart.Same type of killers , barbarians,poverty,mentality every thing is almost same
@Mark
There is a big difference between criticizing a geographic location and criticizing a religion, simply because a criminal happened to be born in a family that followed that religion.
You have to be fair, if to criticize Islam for the wrong acts of each and every person with a muslim name, then you have to criticize hunduism, sikhism, christianity, for the wrong act of each and every person with a hindu,sikh or christian name. AND if you do not do it with other religions, then why this bias against Islam?
@1984
here again goes the bigoted islam basher mentality....No Islamic country which truly follows Islamic principles can support 'honour killings'...In fact honour killings is a tribal problem in punjab, rajisthan, bihar, northern pakistan, afghanistan and some middle eastern societies. Honour killing comes from a tribal mentality, nothing to do with the divine religion. And just has India has laws against honour killinngs, Islam has even better laws for punishment and prevention of honour killings.
On the same note, if an indian hindu/sikh commits honour killing, just as you do not blame India or hindusin/sikhism for that, similarly if a middle eastern or afghan/pak (so called) muslim commits honour killing, you do not blame Islam for it.
Interestingly the history of honour killings goes back to the caste system/tribal society where a girl brought dishonour by marrying a lower caste/enemy tribe's man and had to be killed. Islam rooted out the caste (and tribal) system by teaching that all humans are equal in the sight of God All Mighty regardless of caste, colour or tribe....
@hamza khan: Unlike many islamic countries which justify Honor killing,In India,Honor killing is punishable by law and steps are taken to increase the punishment compared to others....In fact,people call it "Dishonor Killing"
Indian law may not be perfect,but in terms of punishment meted to honor killing,its as equivalent to Sweden....
But,some parents think that its better to kill their daughter and get punishment....Those persons cannot be corrected by law..But through social awareness and counselling...Hope you have watched "Satyamev Jayate"...This is a small step,but in the forward direction...
Rajasthan. What a surprise! In my travels to India, I've consistently found Rajasthan, UP, Gujarat, and Punjab to be just as backward as our own great backward nation. Still, an immense tragedy... Regards, Rehan
@mr. righty rightist:
hahaha...good joke. we're talking about rural india here. not sweden.
@someone: People do, when recently Yahoo! published an article about a 5-year-old Indian girl getting married, many American commenters especially female ones, were saying they were glad they were born in America, not in some South Asian country.
@zehra: Have you ever read any Indian newspapers, just recently I read a similar article in an Indian news site about an incident in Pakistan.Why do you have to get so defensive for India?
Now lets see what the Indian commenters here have to say with their holier-than-thou attitude.
@zehra: I've learned today that daughter-beheading it's not Pakistani male exclusivity, kudos to ET.
When it happens in Pakistan is when it's relevant. Any other time it's just sensationalism.
@ali: Well for you my friend the Sun rises from the river and hides behind the mountain every single day as the earth is flat like a pancake. Any one who opposing your own thinking is either stupid, paid by others or an agent and traitor in the mind of people like yourself.
Interesting to see that no one is blaming hindusim or sikhism when a singh commits a crime against women, but when a khan or siddiqui commits the same crime all the non muslims flock to bash islam....this news is not even in the headlines of the western media, but if the perpetrator was a khan instead of a singh, this news would have been all over Europe, America, Australia, Canada, India, etc...
Hope ET moderators publish my simple comment giving me the right of freedom of expression...they have not allowed my two previous simple comments...
Oh my God! I think commentators have brutally attacked Zehra on her comment. Anyway, the crime is shocking for all its not about India or Pakistan or for that matter any country in world.
well v shuld all worry about our country instead of india ..it happens here also..so lets concentrate on whts happening in our country instead of india....
@Zehra wts wrong with you hehehehe
@zehra: Where in the above article do you see Pakistan being mentioned? Do you want to shoot down the messenger just because the crime happened in India and it was mentioned in a Pakistani newspaper? No one is saying that these things don't happen in Pakistan but you really have the nerve to jump to conclusions!!
@zehra: It amazes me to see how so called literate people comment on this forum without even understanding basics .. ET is not a political leader but a NEWS PAPER, their work is to report news as it happens .. since its leading paper of the region thus they report news from the sub continent. I'm sure the criminal will be punished which shows the huge difference between our country any other.
Same happened with Princess Dianna when her affair started with an egyptian muslim. Who says its only in Asia
He will be tried and punished as per the law.
@zehra: your comments are uncalled for.. ET is a newspaper, their job is to report the events as they happen.... come on, nowhere did i find that they are asking the pakistanis to chill because the indians are bad too. all they are highlighting is that the people across this side of border are as bigoted, narrow-minded and orthodox as on your side....
"Incredible India"
...And we say we live in modern ages. Amazing.
so ? it happens here every day, is ET trying to justify that it happens in indai also and pakistan is not so bad for women? even if it happened in us, it will not take away the amount of attroacities happening in pakistan