Honour killing: Dalit youth killed for marrying upper caste girl in Kumoan

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Sept 2

In a case of honour killing a Dalit youth was killed for marrying a girl of the upper caste in Almora district by the kin of the bride today. Three persons have been  arrested by the Salt revenue police for the murder.

The body of Jagdish Chandra, a Dalit political activist, of Panuadhokhan village was found in a jeep by Almora police at Bhikiasain town today. Jagdish Chandra had  married an uppercase girl Geeta, on August 21.

” The accused had abducted the victim a day before and when the police and revenue police started looking  for him receiving complaints of his been abduction, his dead body was recovered in a jeep belonging to the alleged accused,” said Nisha Rani, tehsildar of Salt sub-division of Almora district..

Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader P.C Tewari has said that the victim was a political activist and had contested election for Salt assembly twice in the past. ” Had the administration taken cognizance of the letter written by the newly married couple, on August 27, seeking their safety, he could have been saved,” said P.C. Tewari.

According to Tewari, due to torture by her step father and brother,  Geeta had developed an affection with Jagdish, who was a resident of a village near her native village.” With her mother’s advice, Geeta had fled to Almora on night of May 26, this year, but she was taken back to her step fathers’ home on  June 17. She was brutally beaten up forcing her to again flee her home on August 7, this year and married with Jagdish Chandra on August 21, in Gairad Mahadev temple of Salt,” said Nisha Rani.

Uttarakhandi Parivartan Party has termed the incident as a shameful act for the state of Uttarakhand and demanded compensation of Rs, one crore to Geeta and adequate security to her.