Married woman poisoned, cremated in suspected honour killing

 

By Sumesh Rajan | April 16, 2026

Belagavi, Karnataka, INDIA: In a suspected case of honour killing, a 24-year-old married woman from Belagavi district in Karnataka was allegedly poisoned to death by her relatives after she eloped with her lover from another caste.

The victim, identified as Satyavva Santosh Helavi, was a resident of Nadigudi village in Hukkeri taluk and had been married to Santosh Helavi of Hanabaratti village in Raibag taluk for about a year. Police said Satyavva had been in a relationship with Krishna Patil even before her marriage.

According to investigators, Satyavva and Krishna eloped on February 17 and began living in a rented house in Belavadi village in Belagavi district. Their disappearance led to missing complaints being filed by both families at Raibag and Yamakanmardi police stations.

Police later traced the couple and handed them over to their families after counselling, as both were adults. However, Satyavva’s family reportedly remained opposed to the relationship because Krishna belonged to a different caste.

Investigators said the family first took Satyavva to Shirol in Maharashtra, where they spent nearly a week attempting to convince her to return home and abandon the relationship. When she refused, the family allegedly shifted her to Arag village in Sangli district.

Police alleged that on March 21, after repeated attempts to force her to end the relationship failed, her relatives made her consume poison. She died shortly afterwards.

To destroy evidence, the accused allegedly cremated her body the same night in Arag. Police said the relatives also burned the mattress she had been lying on and destroyed the poison container used in the crime.

The case came to light after a cremation ground worker informed police about the hurried cremation and the suspicious disposal of a mattress and container along with the body.

During the investigation, police found inconsistencies in the statements of family members. A breakthrough came when the victim’s mother reportedly revealed details of the incident during questioning.

Based on a complaint filed by Krishna Patil, Yamakanmardi police registered a murder case and arrested three relatives of the victim.

The arrested accused have been identified as Prakash Bhimappa Helavi, 46, the victim’s uncle; Shanur Sadashiv Helavi, 35, her brother; and Kallappa Mayappa Helavi, 40, her brother-in-law.

All three accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

Police said further investigation is underway to determine whether more people were involved in the conspiracy.

The incident comes weeks after the Karnataka Assembly passed the Karnataka Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Unity, Freedom, Dignity and Tradition in Marriage Bill, 2026, aimed at curbing crimes committed in the name of family honour.