Father kills 17-year-old daughter over her choice of groom, buries body

 

By Sumesh Rajan | May 18, 2026

Tumakuru, Karnataka, INDIA: In a chilling case of honour killing, a 48-year-old farmer from Karnataka’s Tumakuru district allegedly murdered his 17-year-old daughter because he opposed her choice of groom. After killing the teenager, he dumped her body in a farm well, later retrieved it under the cover of darkness, and buried it in a shallow grave near a dry rivulet.

The gruesome crime came to light nearly a month after the girl, identified as T. Meghana, a second-year Pre-University (PU) student, was reported missing from Nimbemaradahalli village in Sira taluk.

Love Marriage Triggered Family Conflict

According to police, Meghana was in love with an electrician who was a close relative of her mother, Nirmala. While her mother supported the relationship and had agreed to formalise the marriage after Meghana turned 18, her father, Thimmarayappa, strongly opposed the alliance.

The groom’s family had reportedly already purchased a wedding sari and a gold mangalsutra in anticipation of the marriage.

The disagreement over the proposed wedding had led to frequent arguments between Thimmarayappa and his wife over the past several months.

Murder at the Family Farm

On April 16, Thimmarayappa allegedly asked Meghana to accompany him to the family farm. There, another argument broke out over her relationship and future marriage.

Police said that in a fit of rage, he murdered his daughter. Investigators said he first pushed her into an open well and, when she pleaded for help, struck her with stones to ensure her death. In another account given during interrogation, the accused admitted to strangling her before disposing of the body.

Believing that the body might float to the surface and expose his crime, Thimmarayappa returned to the well later that evening, retrieved Meghana’s body, and carried it to a nearby dry lakebed, where he buried her in a shallow grave.

Filed Missing Complaint to Mislead Police

The next day, Thimmarayappa accompanied his wife to Kallambella Police Station, where they filed a missing person complaint. Since Meghana was a minor, police registered a kidnapping case and began investigating.

A week later, on April 23, Thimmarayappa himself disappeared from the village, taking his motorcycle and cash from home. His wife then lodged another complaint reporting him missing.

On the Run Across Karnataka

To evade arrest, Thimmarayappa allegedly travelled to pilgrimage centres, including Tirupati and Dharmasthala, and spent nights in temples and bus stands. He also purchased a second-hand mobile phone and a new SIM card in Kadabagere to avoid detection.

According to police, he sought legal advice from friends on how to obtain anticipatory bail in what he described as a “murder case.”

Mobile Phone and CCTV Led to Arrest

Investigators traced Meghana’s call records and grew suspicious of her father after discovering that he had retained her mobile phone after removing its SIM card. CCTV footage from a local mobile repair shop confirmed his visit.

The breakthrough came on the night of May 15, when police received a tip-off that Thimmarayappa had been seen visiting a friend in a village about three kilometres from his home. The friend provided police with his new mobile number, allowing officers to trace him to his own village.

He was arrested on Saturday May 16.

Confession and Recovery of the Body

Initially, Thimmarayappa denied any involvement and portrayed himself as a grieving father. However, after sustained interrogation, he confessed to killing his daughter.

Police said Meghana’s body will be exhumed under the supervision of a taluk magistrate.

Family Left Devastated

Meghana is survived by her mother and a younger brother. Her mother, Nirmala, who had supported her daughter’s wish to marry the man she loved, is reportedly devastated by the tragedy.

Kallambella police have registered a case and are conducting further investigation into the shocking crime.