Caste stench in murder

Munger: Four persons have been arrested for allegedly murdering an 18-year-old youth over a love affair.

The alleged crime was committed in Chhoti Mureri village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Haveli Kharagpur police station in the district, about 30km from here, late on May 16 night.

Family members of a girl with whom Siddhant, alias Sonu Kumar, 18 – the eldest son of shopkeeper Binoy Kumar Singh – was romantically involved, used her as a decoy to call the youth to a secluded place on May 16 evening. Thereafter, they killed Siddhant, who hailed from the backward Koiri caste, and chopped his body into pieces. The girl belonged to the backward Yadav caste.

“Siddhant had completed an ITI course in technical trade and ran a mobile-recharge-cum-photo-stat shop in the Muzaffarganj market to augment his father’s income and finance his studies,” a village resident told The Telegraph on condition of anonymity.

“The girl used to come to his shop to recharge her mobile and fell in love with Siddhant. The affair continued for a year. The girl’s parents now live in Chhoti Mureri, at a stone’s-throw distance from Muzaffarganj market.”

“Till 1pm today (Thursday), Haveli Kharagpur police had arrested Mahendra Yadav and Reena Devi (the girl’s parents), Fagu Yadav and Usha Devi, all hailing from Chhoti Mureri village under sections 302, 201, 120B and 34 of the IPC in connection with the honour killing case,” said Rajesh Kumar Roy, inspector-cum-station house officer (SHO), Kharagpur police station.

“The girl is safe but has been given refuge in some relative’s house. The police are trying to locate her,” said the police SHO.

“The girl lived in her maternal grandparents’ house in Muzaffarganj market. Her family was against the relationship,” the SHO said.

“So they decided to kill Siddhant. They used the girl to summon Siddhant to the secluded place. When the youth reached the meeting place, the girl’s family members abducted and beheaded him before chopping his body into pieces and burying them,” said the SHO.

“When Siddhant didn’t return home on May 16 night, his father and other family members searched for him for two days but in vain. On May 18, Siddhant’s father lodged a written missing report with the police.

“On the morning of May 23, when some dogs were digging up earth at Ramdeeh Baba Asthan near Mahane river, a crowd gathered and informed the police. The police dug up the place and recovered the head, legs and others parts of Siddhant’s body,” said the SHO.

“Prima facie, it is a case of honour killing,” Polast Kumar, sub-divisional police officer, Haveli Kharagpur told The Telegraph.

Courtesy: The Telegraph