In a spine-chilling display of social rigidity and parental wrath, a father in Uttar Pradesh has performed the funeral rites (‘Shraddh’) for his living daughter. The reason? She chose to marry a man of her choice against her family’s wishes. The father didn’t stop at words; he went ahead and printed formal condolence cards, inviting relatives to a mourning feast.

The Fallout of Love Marriage: The young woman had eloped and married about eight months ago. Since then, her father had considered her dead to the family. However, the situation turned grim when the daughter, after facing domestic issues with her husband, decided to return to her parental home seeking refuge. Instead of a warm welcome, she was met with her own garlanded photograph and the sight of priests performing rituals for her soul.

A Father’s Defiance: “For me, she died the day she stepped out of this house and tarnished our honor,” the father stated coldly. He maintained that the mock funeral was a way to tell society that he no longer holds any responsibility or emotional tie with her. While the local police are looking into the matter for psychological harassment, the incident has sparked a massive debate on the regressive mindset of ‘Honor’ over human life.