Suspicious death in Chittoor: Is it honour killing?

A young woman named Sheikh Yasmin Banu was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her parental home, sparking allegations of an honor killing. The incident occurred in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, and quickly made headlines, leaving the public shocked.

Yasmin’s interfaith marriage

Yasmin, in her early 20s, had married Sai Teja, a man from Puthalapattu mandal belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, on February 9, 2025, in Nellore. The interfaith and intercaste marriage was strongly opposed by Yasmin’s parents, Shoukat Ali and Mumtaz, who disapproved of Sai Teja’s caste and religious background.

Despite the couple seeking police protection on February 13 at Tirupati’s Muthyala Reddypalle police station, where Yasmin’s parents were counseled, tensions persisted.

What reports say?

According to reports, Yasmin’s father claimed he was unwell and repeatedly urged her to visit him.

On Sunday, April 13, 2025, Sai Teja accompanied Yasmin to Gandhi Statue Junction in Chittoor, where she was picked up by her brother’s car to visit her parental home. Hours later, Yasmin was found dead, with her family claiming she had died by suicide. However, Sai Teja lodged a complaint with the Chittoor Police, alleging that Yasmin’s parents and brother murdered her and staged the scene to appear as a suicide.

The police have registered a case and sent Yasmin’s body for a post-mortem to determine the cause of death. Authorities are investigating the case from an honor killing angle, given the reported family opposition to the marriage.

Honour killings in Andhra Pradesh

The incident has ignited public anger, with many condemning the persistence of honor killings in modern India. Local activists have called for stricter measures to address caste-based violence and protect interfaith and intercaste couples.

This is not the first such case in Andhra Pradesh. Just last month, another honor killing was reported in the state, where a father allegedly murdered his 19-year-old daughter for her relationship and attempted to destroy evidence by burning her body.