Inter-caste marriage murder: Wife says police denied protection to couple despite request

Speaking to The Indian Express, Vidya said, “On May 2, we had a registered marriage. After my husband’s family accepted us, we started living at their home. However, our close friends told us that my family was threatening to kill us. They were telling us that they will take a Sairat-type revenge (referring to the popular Marathi movie which highlighted the menace of ‘honour killings’ ) for marrying ouside the caste.”

Vidya claimed that on June 10, she and her husband had gone to Jawahar Nagar police station in city. “There we were told to give our complaint in writing. Both of us were told to file separate complaints. We wrote in the complaint that there was threat to our lives from my family. We also told the police that we should be given police protection. However, we were not given any protection,” Vidya alleged.
On July 14, around 10 pm, Amit who was at his residence in Indira Nagar, was allegedly asked to come out of the house by an unidentified person.

“He told my husband to come out…As soon as my husband walked up to 100 metres, he was attacked by two persons. After hearing the commotion outside, we all rushed outside. Amit was lying in a pool of blood. He was conscious. He told us that my father and a distant relative had attacked him with sharp weapon. We immediately took him to the hospital,” Vidya recalled.

When asked about Vidya’s allegations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Navneet Kumar Kavat said, “The matter is being investigated. We will take appropriate action if anyone is found guilty.”

Kavat said they have provided security to the girl and her in-laws. “A 24 hour security has been provided to the family,” he said.

After 10 days of being hospitalised, Amit passed away on July 25. In his dying declaration, Amit has named the two attackers, who have been arrested, Kavat said.

They were identified as Appasaheb Ashok Kirtishahi (35), a relative of Vidya and Geetaram Bhaskar Kirtishahi (52), her father.
Kavat said the woman’s father had secured interim anticipatory bail from a local court till August 1.

“We appealed in the same court. We told the court that earlier an attempt to murder case was filed and now a murder case has been filed. And therefore the bail should be cancelled. The court cancelled the bail and we have arrested him,” Kavat said.

Kavat said they have also arrested a third person, whose name has not been revealed yet, in the case.

Sumit Salunkhe, brother of Amit, said,”When Amit was attacked, I reached the spot in two minutes. It seems like they had snapped wires in the area. It was a pre-planned murder…”

Condemning the incident, Baramati MP Supriya Sule said,”It is sad that such incidents are still taking place in a progressive state like Maharashtra…I will be seeking full details of the case from the police and the victim’s family.”