In a suspected case of honour killing, a 25-year-old man allegedly pushed his 17-year-old cousin off a 500 feet high cliff in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district of Maharashtra.
The deceased is identified as Namrata Sherkar, a resident of Shahgad in adjoining Jalna district.
Namrata was in a relationship with a man from a different community. When the teenager's family came to know about the affair, her father sent her to uncle's house in Valadgaon near Waluj in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, said the police.
Her cousin Rishikesh Sherkar, who is pursuing MBA in Pune, also disapproved of her affair and came down to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to counsel her, the police said.
On Monday, he took her to Khawdya hill near Waluj, on the city's outskirts, on the pretext of discussing the matter, and after argument pushed her off a 500 feet high cliff, leading to her death, said the police official.
Aome local residents playing cricket nearby saw the two going on the hill together, but the man later coming down alone. They grew suspicious and caught Rishikesh Sherkar and handed him over to the police, who placed him under arrest.
The incident was also captured by a drone camera covering the cricket match, where the accused can be seen coming down the hill.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has strongly condemned the girl's killing and asked the Maharashtra DGP to ensure the accused is booked under relevant sections of the new criminal code BNS.
