Brother and mom take selfie with severed head of pregnant woman after honor killing
A pregnant 19-year-old woman was brutally murdered by her brother and sister on December 5 in Indian state of Maharashtra, according to police. Reports say Kirti Avinash Thore was beheaded with a sickle by minor brother Sanket Mote, with help from their mother Shobhabai Mote. Both Sanket and Shobhabai are now in police custody, with the case being dubbed an "honor killing".
A common practice in several Asian countries, honor killings are murders committed by a family to preserve their honor. On March 5, a father beheaded his teen daughter and walked down the street with her severed head because she befriended a man. In July 2020, we reported on the brutal killing of a 17-year-old rape survivor, who was strangled to death by her father to preserve the family's honor. A month earlier, an Iranian dad beat his daughter to death with an iron bar for coming home late, the country's third honor killing that month.
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While statistics of honor killings are hard to come by, they are becoming increasingly frequent. The Indian Parliament noted that 145 such incidents were recorded between 2017 and 2019, but in reality is expected to be much higher since most cases are reported either as suicides, or accidents. But on a few occasions, the perpetrators are caught red-handed, as Sanket and Shibhabai were.
19-year-old Murdered for eloping
Kriti was murdered for eloping with her lover against the wishes of the family, according to India Today. It is believed Kriti ran away and got married to Avinash Thore in June 2021. Since then, she has been estranged from the family. However, in late November, Shobhabai reportedly visited Kriti when she learned she was pregnant. The mother then returned on December 5, with Sanket in toe reportedly under the guise of reconciliation.
Avinash left the room, while Kriti was making tea for the duo. Then, Sanket reportedly beheaded her from behind with a sickle, while their mother grabbed Kriti's legs. The due then reportedly posed for a selfie with the severed head, and even "carried it outside for neighbors to see." Sanket also attempted to attack Avinash but was unsuccessful. He managed to escape while drawing the attention of his neighbors, who called the police.
Both mother and son surrendered before the police, and are now in custody while an investigation is underway. The incident took place in the Aurangabad district of the state of Maharashtra.