This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
On November 7, 2019, a tragic incident shook a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India, where a 29-year-old woman and her husband were brutally stoned to death by their relatives.
The couple, who had married three years ago against the wishes of their families, had fled their home to escape punishment and had been living in Bangalore and other cities in the region, raising two children.
However, they returned to their village in October to meet family members, unaware of the danger that awaited them.
According to local police officer Guru Shanth, the couple was spotted by villagers on Wednesday, who informed the woman's brother, who then gathered a mob that attacked the couple and killed them with stones.
"Three of the main accused have been identified, including the brother and uncle of the woman," Shanth told AFP.
The incident is the latest in a string of so-called 'honour killings' which are rampant in rural pockets of the country.
These killings are typically carried out by close relatives or village elders to protect what is seen as the family's reputation in a rigid caste system.
United Nations statistics suggest that 1,000 of the 5,000 such murders globally every year occur in India.
India's Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that those found guilty of such killings should face the death penalty.
