Was It Murder or Self-Defense? The Conflicting Accounts in Guwahati Girl Case

In a shocking and hard-to-believe incident, Tania Kumari (17), a student of a private university in Meghalaya and a promising tennis player, has been accused of brutally murdering her mother. Reports indicate that Tania's mother was beaten to death, with her head and face severely injured. The police recovered the body today, suspecting that the murder was carried out with a "cold mind."

According to neighbours, Tania displayed no remorse after the incident. One neighbor recounted, "After killing her mother, while she came out of the flat, she told me that she killed her mother in self-defense. She mentioned that her mother didn’t comply with her over a family matter. She seemed to be totally normal with realization of what she did actually. We tried to save her mother from outside, but she didn’t open the door."

Tania will be produced before the court this afternoon, where the police will seek custody for three days. Additionally, the Dispur police plan to summon three neighboring women who witnessed the aftermath of the incident for further investigation.

As per a complaint, the events unfolded in flat A4 on the fourth floor yesterday afternoon. Neighbors reported hearing the sound of a mortar pestle and screams around six o'clock in the evening. When they knocked on the door pleading for it to be opened, no one responded. About an hour later, Tania emerged from the apartment in a pool of blood, leading neighbors to contact the Dispur police station. Officers rushed to the scene, recovered the body, and sent it to GMCH for examination.

Tania, who enrolled at USTM last year and was in her third semester in the political science department, was known for her academic prowess and was a brilliant lawn tennis player. She was set to participate in an international tournament this November and had received awards for her skills in tennis.

The neighbour added, "Last year she took admission in USTM and was in the 3rd semester in the political science department. She was quiet good in studies; however, she was a brilliant lawn tennis player. This November she was supposed to play an international tournament. She is an awarded tennis player."

Meanwhile, the city police confirmed before the media that Tania had indeed gotten into a fight with her mother before the murder occurred.

After the incident, Tania claimed before the police that she had acted in self-defense, asserting that her mother had attacked her with a knife during a confrontation. Tania alleged, “My mother tried to kill me with a knife. I removed the knife, but my mother picked up a mortar pestle to hit me. During the scuffle, the mortar pestle hit my mother's head, and she immediately collapsed on the spot.”

Tania reportedly continued to attack her mother until she took her last breath, the city police confirmed further.

In a media statement, Tania’s father, Deep Chand Prasad, a tennis coach, expressed disbelief over the allegations related to physical and mental abuse, stating, “The allegations are not true. I am not aware of what statement she gave to the police. I am surprised to learn about the incident. We don’t have any family conflict; thus, I am totally astonished to see this after I came home from the tennis training session. I am her father, and it is about her life and career, so I will have to think before lodging a police complaint against my daughter.”

A case has been registered against Tania Kumari under no. 1049/24, with Section 103(1) of the BNS enclosed against her.

Also Read: Guwahati Girl Charged with Mother's Murder Alleges Gender Bias and Abuse at Home