Kendrapara Tragedy: Honour Killing or Suicide? Death Mystery Deepens!

The death of a 19-year-old female college student in Odisha’s Kendrapara, initially reported as self-immolation, has taken a dramatic turn as her ex-boyfriend’s family alleges she was killed by her own family in a possible honour killing. The third-year undergraduate’s charred body was found on her home’s staircase on Wednesday, prompting a police investigation led by Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria.

The student’s father claimed she died by suicide under mental stress, alleging blackmail by her ex-boyfriend, who he said posted compromising photos online. However, his written complaint to the police omitted any mention of blackmail or the ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend’s mother, speaking to local media, denied her son shared any photos, asserting the couple’s relationship was opposed by the girl’s father. “We suspect this is an honour killing,” she said, with the ex-boyfriend’s sister challenging the family to provide evidence of the alleged social media posts.

Police are awaiting the postmortem report from SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack to determine the cause of death. Forensic experts examined the scene at the family’s home under Pattamundai (Rural) Police Station, focusing on the staircase where the body was found after the father broke open the main gate. SP Kataria, personally overseeing the case, dismissed reports of the ex-boyfriend’s arrest in Chennai, where he works, clarifying no one has been detained.

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As investigators probe all angles, the conflicting claims have intensified scrutiny, with the autopsy report expected to clarify whether the death was suicide or something more sinister.

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