A 21-year-old woman in Maharashtra’s Nanded district performed marriage rituals on the body of her boyfriend after he was allegedly killed by her family over their inter-caste relationship, according to reports from NDTV, Indian Express and Hindustan Times.
Relationship Opposed by Family
According to media reports, the woman, Aanchal Mamidwar, and 20-year-old Saksham Tate had been in a relationship for around three years.
Indian Express reports that Aanchal’s family opposed the relationship because the two belonged to different castes.
Events on 27 November
According to Indian Express, on 27 November, Aanchal’s father Gajanan Mamidwar, along with his sons and a friend, confronted Saksham after learning he was nearby.
During this confrontation, the group allegedly shot Saksham and then attacked him with a stone.
Rituals Performed After the Killing
A BBC Hindi report cited by Indian Express states that after Saksham’s death, Aanchal applied turmeric and kumkum on his body, then applied the same on her own forehead.
She later announced that she would be staying at Saksham’s house.
Additional Claims and Allegations
According to an Aaj Tak report, Saksham had recently come out of jail.
Hindustan Times reports that Aanchal alleged that local police provoked her brother before the incident. These claims are attributed to the woman and reported by the respective outlets.
Honour Killing Data
According to NCRB, 38 cases of honour killing were registered across India in 2023.
Three of those cases were reported in Maharashtra.
Arrests Made
Nanded Deputy Superintendent of Police Prashant Shinde told Indian Express that several people have been arrested in connection with the killing.
NDTV also reported that a recent video showed the father once dancing with Saksham at an event, and the video resurfaced after his arrest.
