Honor Killing in Uttar Pradesh, India: Young Woman Murdered by Her Father and Brother

Neha Rathore
Age: 23
Strangled: March 12, 2025
Residence: Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Origin: India
Perpetrators: Father, Brother

On March 12, 23-year-old Neha Rathore was allegedly murdered by her father and brother in a residence in Uttar Pradesh, India. The family hastily chose to cremate her body along with all of Neha’s belongings.

The day before her death, she had married her boyfriend, Suraj, in a temple. Neha and her husband belonged to different castes, which led to her family disapproving of the marriage. Neha was strangled with the same blue scarf she had worn at her wedding.

The police have arrested Neha’s 40-year-old father, Bhanu Rathore, and her 19-year-old brother, Himanshu. They are suspected of murder and destroying evidence.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.