Family Sentenced to Life for Caste-Based Murder in India

In a shocking case of caste-based violence, a family in Hyderabad, India has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of their daughter's husband. The incident occurred on June 23, 2019, when 31-year-old A. Srinivas visited his in-laws' home in Veenavanka, Karimnagar.

A heated argument broke out between Srinivas and his in-laws, who strongly opposed his marriage to their daughter Gouthami, as the two belonged to different castes. During the confrontation, the family members assaulted Srinivas, and one of them struck him on the head with a boulder. Gouthami rushed her injured husband to a hospital in Hyderabad, but he succumbed to his injuries two days later.

The family court-cum-fourth additional district and sessions judge in Karimnagar has now convicted four members of the family - father-in-law Mandala Odelu (48), brothers-in-law Mandala Sampath (28) and Mandala Devender (25), and mother-in-law Mandala Lakshmi (45) - under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Each of the convicted individuals has been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₹1,000.

The case was initially registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder) but was later altered to Section 302 after Srinivas passed away. This tragic incident highlights the ongoing issue of caste-based discrimination and violence in parts of India, even as the country strives for greater social equality.