Three of a family ‘die by suicide’ in Karnataka fearing daughter eloped with Dalit man

A man, along with his wife and son, allegedly died by suicide in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district suspecting that his daughter had eloped with a person belonging to a different caste, the police said.

The deceased have been identified as Sriramappa, 69, his wife Saroja, 55, and Manoj, 25, of Handiganala village in Sidlaghatta taluk. According to the police, Sriramappa had filed a complaint on Monday alleging that his daughter Archana, 28, had gone missing. Later in the day, the family members, who belong to the Vokkaliga caste, began to suspect that she had eloped with a youth from a Scheduled Caste community. Following this, they allegedly died by suicide.

Officers said the woman has been in a relationship with the youth for the last three years. They are yet to trace her location. Police sources said the two may have eloped fearing opposition from families to their marriage. In a note recovered from the spot, the family has blamed Archana for their deaths, the sources added.