Jhunjhunu: A 23-year-old woman was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by her father in a suspected case of honour killing in Ghumansar Kalan village of Pilani. The accused, Surendra Kumar Nehra, was arrested Sunday after a visiting relative exposed the family’s attempt to pass the murder off as a fatal accident.The victim, Priyanka, was a BSc graduate preparing for competitive exams in Jhunjhunu. Police said she wanted to pursue a love marriage against her family’s wishes. Pilani station house officer (SHO) Chandrabhan Singh said the ongoing dispute between father and daughter peaked Saturday, when an enraged Kumar repeatedly struck Priyanka on the temple with a hammer, killing her on the spot.Following the murder, the family attempted to conceal the crime, telling relatives that Priyanka had died after falling down the stairs. They were actively preparing her funeral bier in the courtyard when the victim’s maternal aunt arrived from Jaipur. Upon seeing the body, the aunt noticed a deep wound on Priyanka’s temple. Finding the circumstances highly suspicious, she alerted her son, Gaurav, who immediately notified the police.Acting on the tip, SHO Singh reached the house and halted the preparations for cremation. Preliminary investigations revealed bloodstains at the crime scene and glaring contradictions in the family’s statements.Police also learned that the father had been angry about the relationship for some time and had previously threatened to kill his daughter over it.Following his arrest, police had a medical board conduct a post-mortem before handing the body back to the family members.
