Man killed by girl’s kin for marrying against their wishes

JALANDAR: A youth, who had run away with a girl and married her, was allegedly murdered by her family in Onkar Nagar area of Phagwara on Saturday. Deceased Umesh (27), a resident of Urban Estate, was called to the house of the girl by her family and was strangulated and then attacked with a sharp-edged weapon.

Umesh’s brother-in-law Deen Bandhu Pandey said that he had run away with Madhu of Onkar Nagar over two months ago and then started living in Panipat after marriage. “However, later the girl’s parents went to them and convinced the couple that they should return home and they would perform their marriage with full participation of the families and relatives. On Saturday, they called him to their house and murdered him,” he alleged.

Phagwara city SHO Jatinderjeet Singh said the couple had returned on September 22 and Umesh left Madhu at her parents’ home. “Madhu’s brother Ajit Kumar, main accused in the case, called him to their home for further discussions. When he reached there, they first strangulated him after an altercation and then attacked his neck with a sharp-edged weapon due to which he died instantly,” he said. The SHO further said that both accused and the victim were working as guards at ATMs. Both Umesh and girl’s family hailed from Bihar but they have been living here for the last several years.

The SHO revealed that as the police rushed to the spot after getting information regarding all four members of the family — Ajit, his father Ramesh Kumar, mother Kalavati and sister Madhu, who were present on the spot. All four were arrested for murder. He said that they would investigate the role of all members of the family. They have been booked under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (common intent) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.