- Anchal alleges two cops were among several people who provoked her brothers to attack her lover, Saksham
- "My brothers said they will get us married, but they betrayed us at the last moment," she tells NDTV
- Heartbreaking visuals of Anchal "marrying" Saksham's corpse have circulated on social media
Days after Saksham Tate (20) was beaten to death in Maharashtra's Nanded over an inter-caste relationship, his lover, Anchal Mamidwar (21), has alleged that two cops were among the several people who provoked her brothers to attack Saksham.
Heartbreaking visuals of Anchal "marrying" Saksham's corpse have circulated on social media. The young woman, visibly in shock, told NDTV that her family members had assured her and Saksham that they would accept their decision to marry each other. "We were together for three years. We saw a lot of dreams. My brothers had assured me that they would organise our wedding. But they betrayed us at the last moment," she said.
Anchal clarified that she connected with Saksham on Instagram and not through her brothers. She said her family members hung out with Saksham. "They would be nice to him and eat together. They convinced him that all is well. We had no idea something like this would happen," she said.
'He Is A Jai Bhimwala'
Anchal, who is from the Special Backward Class, said her family members had told her that Saksham is a 'Jai Bhimwala'—a reference to Dalits who greet each other by saying Jai Bhim. "One day, my father told Saksham that if he wanted to marry me, he would have to come into our religion, Hindu Dharma. Saksham was ready to do everything to marry me. But I don't know what happened," she said.
A Cop's Dare
Anchal accused two policemen—Dheeraj Komalwar and Maheet Asarwar—of provoking her brothers. Anchal's family members reportedly have a criminal record. "Around 11 am on the day Saksham was murdered, my younger brother took me to the police station and asked me to file a false complaint against Saksham. I refused. The cops told my brother, 'you keep coming here after killing people. Why don't you kill the man your sister is involved with?' My brother replied, "Okay, I will kill him by evening and come to you." Anchal asked how people can trust cops if they act like this. Saksham, it is learnt, also had a criminal record.
The Attack
On Thursday evening, Saksham was with his friends when Anchal's brother, Himesh Mamidwar, started an altercation that turned into a fight. Himesh allegedly shot Saksham, and the bullet hit his ribs. He then smashed a tile on the 20-year-old's head, killing him on the spot. Himesh, his brother Sahil, their father Gajanan Mamidwar, and three others have been arrested. They have been charged with murder, unlawful assembly, and rioting under BNS and sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Arms Act.
Funeral Turns 'Wedding'
The next evening, when preparations for Saksham's last rites were on, Anchal reached his home and "married" the corpse. "I was in love with Saksham for the past three years, but my father opposed our relationship over caste differences. My family often threatened to kill Saksham, and now my father and brothers, Himesh and Sahil, have done it. I want justice. I want the accused to be hanged," she told the media. She said she would be living with Saksham's family.
'Murdered Over Caste'
Anchal told NDTV that her family has said that the home doors are shut for her forever. "This murder happened due to caste. My father and brothers used to say, 'We are gangsters, and Saksham knows this. How can he dare to speak to our daughter'?
Anchal said Saksham's family had accepted her and that she would stay with them forever. She also said she was sure of getting justice. "So many people are with me. People should not be killed over caste."
