The Koppal district of Karnataka is reeling in a gruesome case of attempted honor killing. The 23-year-old woman, who is four months pregnant, narrowly escaped death after her own brother allegedly attacked her with an axe out of rage over her marriage to a man from a different community.
The Incident in Handral Village
The victim, Meenakshi, 23, who is from Chittapur in Kuknoor Taluk, is part of the Kuruba community. Two years ago, against her family’s staunch opposition, she married Uday, a boy of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) living in Handral village. Meenakshi had been married and has been living with her husband; however, her marriage had always caused much resentment toward her biological family especially Manjunath, her brother.
On Feb. 18, 2026, it got worse; Meenakshi and Uday went to Handral for the wedding of Uday’s brother. Manjunath tracked his sister's movements in the village after learning of her presence, awaiting a suitable moment to strike during the wedding festivities.
A Brutal Attack and Miraculous Escape
Driven by “family honor” and social caste prejudice, Manjunath reportedly confronted Meenakshi and assaulted her with an axe. Meenakshi was four months pregnant and then was attacked viciously with the intention to take her life. Those on the scene intervened, and by a stroke of luck the injuries weren’t fatal. Meenakshi was immediately taken to Koppal District Hospital, where, now, she is in intensive treatment.
According to medical professionals, she is medically out of danger, despite suffering serious injuries. Her unborn child is undergoing urgent monitoring by specialists. After the violent clash was informed, the Alavandi Police hurried to this scene and successfully apprehended the defendant, Manjunath, before he could flee the scene.
Initial investigations have found that the motive was directly related to the “shame” the family felt from Meenakshi’s inter-caste marriage. “The accused harbored a grudge for two years. For him, his sister's selection of a partner was a slight against the community's status. We have taken him into custody and a case of attempted murder has been registered,” a police official said.
Social Concerns and Legal Action
This incident has exposed how caste-related violence is still felt in rural Karnataka. As the law offers protections for inter-caste couples, though, social friction is still a mortal challenge. Local activists have advocated for tougher enforcement of the protection that laws provide for couples who marry outsiders to avoid such “honor-based” crimes. Manjunath is being interrogated and police have started looking into whether other family members participated in planning or inciting the attack.
