2 months after marriage, couple killed in Haryana; woman’s family booked

Based on a complaint filed by Tejbir’s father, Mehtab Singh, police have lodged an FIR against 11 people — all from Meena’s family — under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 120-B (conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Additional Director General of Police (Hisar Range) Matta Ravi Kiran said the couple had initially approached the court to seek police protection, but later withdrew their plea.

According to the FIR, the couple got married at an Arya Samaj Mandir in Ghaziabad on April 22. Meena’s family is reported to have opposed the marriage. While Meena was from Sultanpur village in Hisar, Tejbir was a resident of Badala village in the same district.

In his complaint, Mehtab Singh, a farmer, told the police that Meena’s family members were upset with the marriage and had threatened to kill the couple. “Because they were afraid, the couple first hid in Delhi and later stayed in a safehouse in Hisar (set up by the police) for three-four days,” he said in his complaint. Sources said Tejbir had got a job with a private company near Delhi.

For the last 10-15 days, the couple was reportedly living in Tejbir’s home in Badala village. On Monday morning, at about 8.15 am, Tejbir and Meena are learnt to have left for Delhi on a motorcycle. A little later, they were gunned down at a park in Hansi town of Hisar district. According to Mehtab Singh, he received a phone call at 10.15 am, informing him about the shooting.

“The person who informed (the police) about the incident said two youths were seen running after shooting the couple,” Hansi Superintendent of Police (SP) Maqsood Ahmed said. “Possibly, the two attackers used two different weapons. Police have recovered seven empty cartridges from the spot. The FSL (forensic science laboratory) team found four-five bullet injuries on the bodies. A post-mortem will reveal more details,” he said.

The incident comes five days after a 17-year-old boy from Kaithal district allegedly killed his 20-year-old sister, who married outside her caste on February 6.

In another case on June 19, the Sirsa police booked the father and brother of a 27-year-old woman, who was allegedly killed in the first week of June. According to sources, while her family claimed the woman had died due to a heart attack, an RTI activist filed a police complaint saying it may be a case of “honour killing” as the woman wanted to marry a person with “very little land”.

On April 21, a youth was killed in Yamunanagar, reportedly over his inter-caste marriage in August 2023. The couple had a three-month-old son when the incident took place.

In addition to these incidents, the residents of a village in Mahendragarh district are facing a boycott from a neighboring village, reportedly over a love marriage. The couple, meanwhile, has sought shelter in a safehouse.

Hisar ADGP Matta Ravi Kiran said this was a social issue that requires awareness in society. “Such incidents don’t take place when couples take police protection. But only a few such couples approach us,” Kiran said, adding that they often send police teams to educate villagers.