Couple stoned to death in Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD - A couple, who had eloped and married, was stoned to death in what appears to be a case of honour killing in Andhra Pradesh’s Nizamabad district.

Irate residents of Krishnajivadi village rained stones on the couple after tying them to a pole, police said Thursday.

The macabre incident occurred late Wednesday night in Telangana region, about 250 km from here.

Sunkara Srinivas, 32, belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), and 22-year-old Swapna Reddy, belonging to an upper caste, had eloped and married six months ago.

Swapna’s family was against the alliance as Srinivas was from a lower caste and already married. He had two children from his first wife.

The newly married couple lived in Hyderabad for sometime as Srinivas was working as a computer operator in a private firm.

They returned to the village three days ago. Swapna’s relatives called the couple on the pretext of discussing some issues. Following an argument, they started thrashing Srinivas and when Swapna tried to protect him, they attacked her as well.

The couple was then tied to a pole and the attackers, numbering about 30, pelted stones on them leading to their death.

Police has registered a case and arrested three people.