Girl kills 'strict' father and burns his body with a friend's help because he hit her with a belt for going on a date
A teenage girl and her male friend were arrested and charged in connection to the death of the former's father, whose body was found half-burnt in a bathroom in his home in the Indian city of Bengaluru.
The charred body of Jai Kumar Jain, 41, a businessman who ran an apparel shop in the capital of the state of Karnataka, was found in the bathroom of his plush home in the Rajajinagar neighborhood around 10:30 am on August 18 after neighbors saw smoke emanating from the residence, according to the Deccan Herald.
The neighbors promptly called the fire and emergency services, who rushed to the spot and worked on extinguishing the flames. After the fire was put out, rescue workers spotted Kumar's body.
The police were subsequently called to the scene and found the businessman's bloodstains on the bed, cot, floors, and the walls of the bedroom to which the bathroom was attached. Both his wife and son were not in the city at the time, though his 15-year-old daughter was.
During the initial inquiry, the teenager told police she alerted the neighbors after she returned from a relative's house after having breakfast that morning and saw the smoke. She then changed her story and said she had gone out for a morning walk.
Police could not verify or corroborate either of the statements but assumed it was because the girl was in a state of shock. However, the case started unraveling when they uncovered that she had called a male friend the previous night.
When they brought up the call and questioned her about the friend, identified as 19-year-old Praveen, a freshman pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, she confessed to the crime.
In her police statement, the girl told police that she was being constantly reprimanded by her father and that he beat her with a belt for going on a date. She said he had confiscated her mobile phone and threatened her against talking to Praveen. She also alleged that he had threatened Praveen as well.
Deputy police commissioner (north) N Shashikumar shared the statement on Monday and quoted the girl as saying: “My father had recently learned that I was meeting Praveen in malls and he beat me with his belt."
Fed up, she said she hatched a plan with the 19-year-old to kill her father. She confessed she spiked his drink with sleeping pills, and that they then stabbed him multiple times before dragging his body to the bathroom and setting it on fire.
The girl, who is said to be a 10th-grade student at a reputed international school, and Praveen have both been booked into jail for murder and destroying evidence.