Vadodara: A 21-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her father over her relationship with a youth from a different caste in Metpur village of Khambhat taluka in Anand district in the early hours of November 9.The accused, Kaushalkumar Patel, allegedly strangled his daughter Saniya with a dupatta in the kitchen around 3.15 am while other family members were asleep, said inspector P J Bantva of Khambhat Town police station.According to police, Kaushalkumar had been opposing his daughter’s year-long relationship with a youth from the same village, citing their caste differences and the latter’s monthly income of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.In the early hours of November 9, he again tried to persuade Saniya to end the relationship. When she refused, he allegedly lost his temper and strangled her, Bantva said.Family members initially claimed that Saniya had died by suicide. However, doctors at the civil hospital found the circumstances suspicious and recommended a post-mortem examination, which established that she had died of strangulation.“During the investigation, the accused confessed to killing his daughter. He was then arrested,” the inspector said.Saniya was a commerce graduate and was pursuing a course, police said.The accused was produced before a court on Tuesday, where police sought his remand. However, the court rejected the plea and sent him to judicial custody.
