2 brothers of man detainedin wife burning case in Pune

The Ahmednagar case related to the alleged murder of a 19-year-old woman as a fall out of an inter-caste marriage has taken a new twist.

The police have detained two brothers of the woman’s husband, Mangesh Ransingh, 23, who is now a suspect in the case of his wife’s murder. Mangesh, who suffered 50% burns, is undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune.

Soon after the incident at Nighoj village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district on May 1, the police had formed a special team to arrest the father, who along with others, was accused of killing his pregnant daughter Rukmini and grievously injuring his son-in-law by setting them on fire to condemn their inter-caste marriage.

On Monday, investigating officer assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Maneesh Kalvaniya said that Mangesh’s brothers, Mahesh and Vikrant, have been detained for questioning. Kalvaniya is the divisional officer of Ahmednagar rural division of Ahmednagar police.

According to Mangesh’s sister Priya, one of the seven siblings, “The two were taken a few days ago and have been incommunicado since then.”

Priya, who is in her early 20s, said, “They (police) took all our phones, even mine.”

While the police did not comment on where the two were picked up from, Priya said that they were taken from Sasoon General Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Ahmednagar police have requested a local court to release the two uncles of Rukmini earlier arrested in connection with the murder.

In yet another revelation, Priya said that she had visited Rukmini at her parents’ house, a day before the incident. “I had gone there to speak with her. But they did not allow me to speak to her. Her family members abused me and pushed me out of the house. So the next day he (Mangesh) went there,” she said.

Mangesh is now suspected to have set his wife ablaze. He is till unaware of his wife’s death and is watched round-the-clock by two officials of Ahmednagar police who are changed every morning.

The initial complaint in the matter, lodged based on Rukmini’s dying statement and Mangesh’s statement, claimed that her family members set her ablaze for marrying a man from another caste.

Mangesh, who is from the Lohar community, was married to Rukmini, who is from the Pasi community and was pregnant at the time of her death.

“We have 4-5 witnesses who have testified. This is not a case of ‘honour killing’. These witnesses have recorded their statements and there is circumstancial and technical evidence in the case,” said ASP Kalvaniya.

He said that there was a child inside the house, where Rukmini was set ablaze, who has blamed Mangesh. “Some people who spoke to her in the ambulance have also said the same,” he added.

Two of Rukmini’s uncles, Surendra Bhartiya and Ghanshyam Saroj, were arrested in the case. They are currently in magisterial police custody in a case under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) registered at
Parner police station of
Ahmednagar.

The medical condition of Rukmini’s father, who was also booked in the case, has prevented him from getting arrested.

The Parner government hospital, which had referred him to a private hospital, advised the police against his arrest, ASP Kalvaniya said.

The police subsequently submitted a report in a local court to release the arrested family members with immediately effect.

However, the court is awaiting a statement from the complainant in the case.

The deceased woman’s dying statement incriminates her family members who had allegedly locked the two inside
the house and set it ablaze.

First Published: May 14, 2019 01:46 IST