Man accused of killing vlogger girlfriend in Bengaluru arrested
Bengaluru: A man accused of killing his vlogger girlfriend in Bengaluru and spending two days with her body has been arrested, according to police sources. Reports suggest he was arrested outside Karnataka, indicating that he fled the state after the alleged crime.
The victim, Maya Gogoi, a vlogger from Assam, was reportedly killed by her boyfriend, Aarav Hanoy, at a serviced apartment in Bengaluru earlier this week.
In a disturbing revelation, police stated that Hanoy spent two days with Gogoi's corpse, during which he was said to have smoked cigarettes while sitting in front of the body.
Following the crime, Aarav Hanoy left the serviced apartment in a taxi and traveled to the Majestic area in Bengaluru's Central Business District. He then switched off his phone, making it difficult for the authorities to trace him.
Police had formed two special teams to locate Hanoy and launched a manhunt, which eventually led to his arrest.
Maya, who lived with her sister in Bengaluru's HSR Layout, had informed her sister on Friday that she would not be returning home as she was attending an office party. On Saturday, she sent another message stating she was partying again that night.
Maya’s sister informed the police that the couple had been in a relationship for the past six months after meeting on social media.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
