DEHRADUN: A Dalit youth was brutally murdered by his in-laws for marrying a girl from the upper caste, on Thursday. Before the brutal murder, the newly married inter-caste couple had sought protection from the police expressing similar apprehensions against their in-laws but the police paid no heed.
Jagdish Chandra, son of Keshram, a resident of Panuvadhokhan and Geeta alias Guddi, a resident of Bhikiyasain got married at Gairad temple on August 21. Before marriage, Guddi had lived with her stepfather Joga Singh and half-brother Govind Singh. Marrying a Dalit did not go well with both of them and together they killed Jagdish.
The deceased Jagdish was the leader of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP) and had contested assembly elections twice.
It is alleged that on Thursday, Jagdish's in-laws caught him in Bhikiyasain and forcibly abducted him in a vehicle. Jagdish was then brutally murdered. On information, the police and revenue police team recovered Jagdish's blood-soaked body from the vehicle late in the evening.
UPP central president PC Tiwari has said that Geeta's stepfamily has been the enemy of Jagdish's life ever since it was reported that she was married to a Dalit. Senior Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Rai told The New Indian Express, "The three accused including mother in law of the deceased, Bhavana Devi who committed the murder has been arrested. The weapon used in the murder is yet to be recovered, though police have learnt that Jagdish was killed in an attack carried out with a hammer-like weapon."
The incident has caused a stir in the police administration. An important angle, in this case, is that the couple had pleaded for protection from the police a few days ago, citing a threat to their lives.
In wake of this incident, the administration has deployed additional police force in view of the caste conflict as a precautionary measure.
This is the second case in the last four years. In May 2018, a woman was axed to death by her brothers in the Haridwar district of the state in a suspected case of honour killing. The woman, Preeti had married Om Prakash against her family’s wishes and was staying with him in Dharampur village.
The leaders of this hill state may be trying their level best to make it one of the finest states in the country, but there are still areas in the state that are caught in the shackles of the old conservative ideology. This incident has put a big blot on Almora district, known for its rich cultural heritage and education.