Honour killing: Father strangles daughter to death over interfaith relationship in Gujarat's Amreli district

RAJKOT: A brutal case of honour killing has emerged from Amreli district, where a 23-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her father for being in a romantic relationship with a man from a different faith.
The victim, Ishika Khokhar, was killed just two days before the scheduled visit of the family of a man to whom her marriage had been arranged against her wishes.
Ishika was reportedly in love with a man named Kana, a resident of Dedan village, where both families lived. However, her parents had fixed her marriage with a Muslim man from Mahuva, despite her objections.
In the early hours of Thursday, Ishika called the 181 women's helpline seeking help, reporting that her parents were forcing her into marriage. Before the rescue team could arrive, her father, Majid Khokhar (45), allegedly strangled her to death.
Police arrested Majid for murder on Friday.
According to RG Chauhan, the investigating officer and in-charge of Khambha police station, Ishika made the distress call between 2.00am and 2.30am., stating that she was being forced into a marriage against her will. While she was still on the call with the 181 team, her father woke up, assumed she was speaking to her lover, and in a fit of rage, allegedly smothered her by pressing down on her neck. Ishika's mother reportedly tried to stop him but failed.
Following the murder, Majid placed Ishika's body back on her cot and planned to tell relatives in the morning that she had died in her sleep due to unknown causes. He was unaware that Ishika had been speaking with the 181 team and not her lover.
The rescue team, having gathered her details during the call, reached the Khokhar residence around 4:15am. Majid initially told them Ishika was asleep and claimed the issue of her forced marriage had been resolved. When the team insisted on meeting her, they found her unresponsive and grew suspicious.
They immediately informed Khambha Police. Officer Chauhan and his team arrived with a medical officer from the local public health centre, who confirmed Ishika was dead. During questioning, Majid confessed to murdering his daughter.
Sources said Ishika had dropped out of school after Class 8 and had been in a relationship with Kana for nearly a year. Despite this, her parents had arranged her engagement to a Muslim man from Mahuva three months ago, and the wedding was scheduled for May 7. The groom's family was expected to visit on April 26 for pre-wedding preparations.
Majid, a known figure in the local community, is engaged in agriculture.