Uttarakhand Dalit Leader Allegedly Killed By In-Laws Over Inter-Caste Marriage
Geeta’s family, who are from the Rajput caste, was allegedly not happy with the relationship,
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A 39-year-old Dalit man from Uttarakhand's Almora district was allegedly murdered by his upper-caste in-laws as they were unhappy over his inter-caste marriage with their daughter, the police said on Friday, 2 September.
The deceased, Jagdish Chandra, who was a politician from the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP), was reportedly abducted and beaten to death, reported The Times of India.
His wife's stepfather, stepbrother, and mother have been arrested in connection with the case.
What Happened
Chandra and Geeta eloped and solemnised their marriage at a temple in Bhikiyasen on 21 August. Geeta’s Rajput family was allegedly not happy with the relationship, a police official said.
On Thursday, the man's in-laws intercepted his car at Bhikiyasain in Almora district and abducted him. Chandra was on his way to participate in a UPP rally in Nainital.
"Chandra was abducted at at around 5 pm in Bhikiyasain when he went for some work there. After extensive search, police found his body inside a car, being driven by the accused, near Belti village around 10 pm," SDM Shipra Joshi told the daily.
The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder) and the SC/ST Act, added Joshi.
The Couple Had Sought Security
Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader PC Tiwari said that on 27 August, the couple had written to the administration seeking security, citing a threat to their lives.
Chandra was a senior worker of UPP and had contested from the Salt Assembly constituency in the state twice, according to Hindustan Times.
(With inputs from The Times of India and Hindustan Times.)
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