Woman’s body recovered from Bengaluru lake; boyfriend alleges ‘honour killing’      

The body of a 21-year-old woman was recovered from a lake on the outskirts of the city under mysterious circumstances, police said on Thursday.

R Sahana was a resident of Harohalli near Hosur, they said.

Police said the victim's father claimed it was an accident, while her boyfriend alleged it was a case of “honour killing” as her father had opposed their relation due to their belonging to different communities.

According to the police, the victim's father, Ramamurthy, said in his complaint that while riding a two-wheeler on Tuesday he lost control of the vehicle, causing both himself and his daughter who was riding pillion to fall into a lake at Hebbagodi.

Though he managed to survive, his daughter who allegedly did not know how to swim, drowned. He then immediately went to the police station and lodged a complaint, a police officer said.

The victim's boyfriend, Nitin, alleged it was a case of “honour killing” and claimed that Ramamurthy must have deliberately pushed her into the lake, as he was against their relationship.

Nitin alleged that the victim's father had called him to his friend's house in Hebbagodi on Sunday night and had assaulted Sahana in his presence. Despite this, Sahana remained firm in her decision to marry him, he claimed.

During questioning, the victim's father admitted that he was upset and had been sleepless after learning about his daughter's relationship. However, he maintained that he lost control of the vehicle as he dozed off, leading to the accident. Though he knew how to swim, he claimed he was unable to save his daughter, police said.

"We have registered a case for causing death by negligence. All allegations are being investigated to determine whether it was an accident or a case of honour killing," police added.