A man was beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh when he went to meet his girlfriend who was being forcibly married off by her family. Ravi, a 35-year-old, had gone had gone to meet Manisha, 18, in Hamirpur after hearing about her coming wedding. But he was the caught by the family, who, enraged, tied him up.
Then they started beating him with sticks. The residents of the village, Parchchh, joined in. When the man, seriously injured, asked for water, he was not given any, sources said.
After he died, the attackers realised the seriousness of the situation. The girl's uncle, 35-year-old Pintu, attempted suicide to avoid being accused of murder, sources said.
The police were then informed. They took Ravi and Pintu to the community health center in Maudaha, where doctors declared Ravi dead. Pintu was referred to the district hospital for treatment.
Manisha, on hearing that Ravi has died, also attempted suicide. She and her uncle are both in a critical condition, sources said. The police have admitted her to the community health center in Maudaha town.
The family has claimed that it was Ravi who had attacked Pintu.
Manisha's grandmother said she had gone to Maudaha. When she returned, she found that Ravi had come to the house. "When the girl called out, he stabbed Pintu," she said.
The girl, she added, had once eloped with this same man. "He was already filled with anger," she said.
Manisha's aunt, Pintu's wife, said Ravi had attacked Pintu when the latter opened the door to him. "He was knocking and my husband caught him. The man was carrying a knife and stabbed my husband," she said.
The incident has created an atmosphere of panic in the village.
Diksha Sharma, the Superintendent of Police in Hamirpur, said a dispute broke out between two groups in Parchchh village, in which a man died on the spot and another was injured. The girl also injured herself and is being treated at the district hospital, she said.
