Girl shot dead by father for ‘honour’

A 16-year-old girl in Haryana was killed and then hastily cremated Monday night by her father, police said and added they suspect it to be a case of “honour killing”.

The Class 10 student (name withheld) was shot dead from point blank range by her father, Ratan Pal, a retired Border Security Force (BSF) trooper, in Rewari Khera village of Bhiwani district.

Police said that the trooper was under the influence of liquor at the time of the shooting. He is missing and on the run since Monday night.

“We suspect that it could be a case of honour killing. We have registered a case of murder against the father and are investigating all angles,” said a police officer in Bhiwani, nearly 300 km from Chandigarh.

Police sources said the father was upset over his daughter’s closeness with a boy of another caste.