Telangana woman dragged to in-laws’ home, beheaded over 1.5-acre land dispute

HYDERABAD: A 28-year-old woman was allegedly dragged to her in-laws’ house and beheaded in a chilling murder over a land dispute in Mahbubnagar district on Monday.Police suspect that grudge over 1.5 acres of land registered in her name led to the brutal murder.The victim, Sunitha, was a native of Obulayyapalli village in Mahbubnagar mandal.On Monday afternoon, while she was on her way to her agricultural field in Chinthal thanda of Koilkonda mandal, her father-in-law Manikya Naik, brothers-in-law Manya Naik and Pandu Naik, and Pandu’s wife Parvathi allegedly intercepted her.They tied a cloth around her neck and dragged her to their house, where they attacked her with knives. The accused allegedly slit her throat and severed her head.Police rushed to the spot after receiving information and shifted the body to Mahbubnagar Govt General Hospital for postmortem examination.“Based on a complaint lodged by Sunitha’s father, Valya Naik, we registered a case under Sections 101 (murder) and 103 (punishment for murder) of the BNS and launched an investigation. All four accused are absconding, and special teams have been formed to trace and arrest them,” said A Nagaraju, sub-inspector, Koilkonda police station.According to the SI, Sunitha married Balram, a resident of Chinthal thanda, about 12 years ago. The couple have two daughters. Balram allegedly had mental health issues, which led to frequent quarrels between the couple.About a year ago, village elders intervened and resolved the disputes.As part of the settlement, 1.5 acres of land belonging to Balram was registered in Sunitha’s name to secure her and her children’s future. However, the decision reportedly angered Balram’s elder brothers, Pandu Naik and Manya Naik, who opposed the transfer.Police said the brothers allegedly prevented the couple from living together and frequently took Balram to Hyderabad. Unable to cope with the strained family situation, Sunitha moved to her parents’ house in Obulayyapalli.Her parents later persuaded her to return to Chinthal thanda and built a house for her. She had been living there with her two daughters for the past month.Despite this, her in-laws allegedly continued to pressure her to relinquish the land and leave the village. They also reportedly threatened to kill her if she refused to give up the property, police said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Hyderabad | Silver Rate in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Petrol Price in Hyderabad | Diesel Price in Hyderabad | CNG Price in Hyderabad | LPG Price in HyderabadStay updated with the latest Hyderabad news. Download the TOI App.