BHOPAL: In a chilling case of honour killing, a 23-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by parents and brother in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday for marrying a man from a different caste.
The woman identified as Sarla was allegedly murdered in broad daylight by father Devidas, mother Sulta Bai and brother Hiralal in Khetia area of Barwani (400 km from Bhopal), while her husband Pankaj was injured while trying to save wife in the attack by her family members.
“All three accused, including the woman’s parents and brother have been arrested and booked under Section 302 (murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (crime with common intent) of IPC. The arrested trio has confessed killing Sarla as they claimed that her love marriage with Pankaj (a man from another caste) in May 2017 had brought disrepute to the family in their clan,” sub divisional officer police (SDOP) Padam Singh Baghel told The New Indian Express.
According to the SDOP, the woman Sarla (hailing from Koli scheduled caste) had a love affair with Pankaj (who belonged to the OBC Mali caste), which was not acceptable to her family. Both of them fled from Khetia in May 2017 and married in Pune (Maharashtra).
“The girl’s parents lodged a missing persons complaint, after which we found the newly married couple living in Maharashtra. Since both of them were of marriageable age and produced proof of their marriage, we couldn’t force them to come back,” said Baghel.
The couple worked for many months in a factory in Mumbai, but returned to Pankaj’s home in Pansemal area of Barwani district last month. Coming to know about their return, Sarla’s father Devidas (55) and brother Hiralal (25) went to Pankaj’s house in Pansemal on Thursday morning. The father-son duo told Pankaj and Sarla that they had forgiven the couple for their marriage and convinced them to come home in Khetia (10 km away) informing that Sarla’s mother Sulta Bai (50) was terminally ill.
Believing in the words of the father-son duo, the Pankaj along with Sarla rushed to her house in Khetia, but once inside the house they were shocked to know that Sarla’s family had laid a trap for their honour killing.
“Sarla and Pankaj were attacked by former’s family with sickle and washing bat. Sarla managed to escape initially by jumping from the balcony of the house, but the accused trio managed to nab her and Pankaj. While Sarla was killed on the spot due to multiple wounds inflicted by sickle, Pankaj too sustained injuries in hand after being attacked with washing bat, while trying in vain to save wife,” said SDOP Padam Singh Baghel.