Standing in the 21st century doesn’t change anything as we come across heinous killings due to dowry or if a woman is infertile. A recent murder in Karnataka will yet again prove that the preconceived notions in society’s eyes are still prevalent. A Karnataka-based 30-year-old woman doctor was murdered by her in-laws for being childless. According to the India Today report, the murder took place on May 18, 2028, in Karnataka’s Belagavi district.
Who was the victim, Dr. Renuka Santosh Honakande?
Renuka was a resident of Chadachan in Vijayapura district, Karnataka. She was a practising doctor. In 2020, she married Santosh, a mechanical engineer who works in Satara, Maharashtra. Since the beginning, the couple had fights. The duo used to live separately from the last few years. According to the India Today report, the relatives close to the couple said that the fights were linked to Renuka’s inability to conceive.
image courtesy @indiatoday
Renuka’s murder plotting was done by her husband, Santosh
The Karnataka-based doctor was killed by her parents-in-law on the instructions of her husband. According to the India Today report, Renuka’s mother-in-law, Jayashree, and father-in-law, Kamanna Honakande, tried to make her murder seem like an accident. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police, Bhimashankar Guled, Renuka’s in-laws confessed to the murder and also revealed that the murder plotting was done by their son, Santosh.
left: Belagavi Superintendent of Police, Bhimashankar Guled, right: Renuka’s husband, Santosh
When and how did the murder take place?
As per the India Today report, Jayashree pushed Renuka, off a moving two-wheeler. She was then attacked by the former with a stone. Later, Renuka’s father-in-law strangled her to death. According to police sources, Renuka’s parents-in-law tied her body to a bike and dragged it for over 100 m.
They did this action just to make the murder seem like an accident that was caused due to the entangling of Renuka’s saree with the bike’s wheel. According to the police, the murder took place on the night of May 18, when Jayashree took Renuka to a temple, and the duo was returning back home.
Police suspected foul play
Renuka’s father-in-law, Kamanna, reportedly called the police and said that she died in an accident. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police, Bhimashankar Guled, Renuka only had injuries, while her in-laws were unharmed, which made the police suspect foul play. Due to the growing suspicion, the police did a deeper inquiry into the murder case. The investigation also unveiled a hidden truth about Santosh’s second marriage. According to the police, Santosh had remarried, and his second wife is now reportedly pregnant, while he is still married to Renuka.
Renuka’s family said the victim was harassed over dowry and childlessness
According to the India Today report, Renuka’s family claimed that the victim was harassed over dowry and her inability to conceive. In fact, the victim’s family also reported that Renuka was often taunted for being childless and also accused her of having memory issues. However, even after such harassment, the victim never returned back to her parental home and stayed with her in-laws.
Now, after Renuka’s death, a murder case and a case of dowry harassment have been registered, and the accused, Santosh and his parents are in Hindalga jail. Renuka’s postmortem reports confirmed that she was murdered. Later, Renuka’s body was handed over to her family, and her last rites were performed in her hometown.
Team BollywoodShaadis deeply condemn such crimes related to dowry and women who can’t bear children. We wish to dream of a nation free from such heinous crimes. Our heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family.
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