A 25-year-old Dalit man, Om Prakash Batham, was beaten to death in Gwalior district’s Harsi village after returning with his wife, Shivani Jha, on August 19. Police said the assault was carried out by Shivani’s family members and others, enraged by the inter-caste marriage.
Om Prakash, who married Shivani in January against her family’s wishes, had earlier faced a ₹51,000 penalty imposed by the local panchayat, which also ordered a social boycott of his family. Following this, the couple left the village.
On August 19, soon after their return, Om Prakash was attacked by Shivani’s relatives. He succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. A murder case has been registered against 12 people, including Shivani’s father, Dwarka Jha, who is accused of leading the assault and is currently absconding, police said.
Belgada police station in-charge Ajay Sikarwar confirmed that efforts are underway to trace the accused.
