A 16-year-old girl was allegedly beheaded by the man she was set to marry on Thursday, hours after authorities stopped their engagement ceremony in Karnataka's Madikeri. The man took the chopped head with him when he fled the scene, police said.
32-year-old Prakash was set to marry Meena, who cleared her Class 10 exams yesterday, at Surlabbi village in Madikere. However, someone informed the Child Welfare Department about the illegal ceremony. Officials reached the venue and ordered the families to stop the ceremony as the girl was underage and her marriage could attract a case under the POCSO and Child Marriage acts.
After the families were counselled, they agreed to cancel the ceremony and postpone the marriage till after Meena turned 18.
Hours later, Prakash barged into the girl's house and attacked her parents, police said. He kicked her father and assaulted her mother with a sharp object. He, then dragged the girl out of the house for about 100 metres and allegedly beheaded her before fleeing.
Prakash has been missing and the cops have begun a search operation. "All efforts are being taken to arrest the accused," Superintendent of Police (Kodagu), Ramarajan K, told news agency PTI.
The victim's father and mother have been admitted to a hospital.
A case has been registered against Prakash under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, police said.
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