POLICE have arrested a man in northern India after he allegedly  beheaded his daughter in anger over her relationship with a man and apparently carried her severed head to the village police station.

Images of the man carrying his daughter’s head sparked outrage after it went viral on social media, with women’s groups condemning so-called honour killings.

Police superintendent of the Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh Anurag Vats said the man had confessed to the crime.

“He said he saw his daughter in a compromising position with a man and he beheaded her in a fit of rage,” he said.

The incident has led to renewed calls for a specific law against honour killings which are believed to be on the rise in India.

Vice-president of All India Democratic Women’s Association Uttar Pradesh chapter Madhu Garg said: “Daughters in India are seen as a sign of family honour, which results in such crimes.

“The issue of the right to choice needs immediate attention and a separate law should be made for dealing with honour killing,” she said.

Honour killing statistics are difficult to ascertain, with campaigners warning that they are often recorded as other crimes.