Woman, 26, Beheaded By In-Laws Over Land Dispute In Telangana

A 26-year-old woman was allegedly brutally murdered by her in-laws over an agricultural land dispute at Chintal Thanda in Koilkonda mandal of Mahabubnagar district, triggering shock and outrage in the village.

The victim, identified as Katrawath Sunitha, was attacked with sharp weapons and killed after a dispute over land registered in her name. The accused allegedly beheaded her before fleeing the scene.

Sunitha had married Katrawath Balaram of Chintal Thanda around a decade ago. The couple had two daughters, Rishika and Shailaja. As Balaram was reportedly suffering from mental health problems, frequent disputes allegedly erupted within the family.

About a year ago, Balaram's elder brothers, Manya Naik and Pandu Naik, reportedly took him to Hyderabad. Following a settlement facilitated by village elders, around 1.5 acres of agricultural land belonging to Balaram was reportedly registered in Sunitha's name to secure her future.

Sunitha subsequently moved in with her parents alongside her daughters. She had recently returned to Chintal Thanda and was visiting the agricultural land when Manya Naik allegedly intercepted her and took her to his house.

There persons, Pandu Naik, his wife Parvathi and another relative, Manikya Naik, allegedly joined the assault.

Sunitha was brutally attacked with sharp-edged weapons and killed, police said.

Acting on a complaint lodged by Sunitha's father, Valya Naik, Koilkonda police registered a murder case against four persons: Manya Naik, Pandu Naik, Parvathi and Manikya Naik.

Koilkonda Circle Inspector Gandhi Naik and Sub-Inspector Nagaraju said the preliminary investigation pointed to a land dispute as the suspected motive for the killing.

Police shifted the body for a postmortem examination, and efforts were under way to trace and arrest the accused.