Indian couple electrocuted for daring to marry outside caste

[The_Dude 1,142]

Indian couple electrocuted for daring to marry outside caste

In an alleyway in Delhi choked with flies and neighbours in mourning, Devindri Devi held up a photograph of her nephew. "We had agreed to the marriage but her family did not," she said, as she looked at the picture of the soft-faced young man. "It was because he is from a different caste."

In a case that has stunned India's capital, Mrs Devi's nephew and his teenage girlfriend were tortured and murdered in a so-called honour killing, allegedly by the young woman's family, who objected to the relationship.

Over a period of several hours, the young couple were bound, beaten and given electric shocks before they died. All that time, the woman screamed and begged with her assailants – apparently her uncle and father – to spare the life of the young man whom she so wanted to marry.

"When we found the bodies, the couple's legs and hands were tied and they were bleeding," the deputy commissioner of Delhi police, NS Bundela, told a press conference yesterday. "The couple were electrocuted as well, but we will wait for the full post-mortem report."

The killing of young couples who challenge the wishes of their families is not uncommon in rural India where the centuries-old traditions of caste and tribe remain little diluted. But this incident has triggered an unusual degree of outrage, both for its brutality and for its location in a city that is gearing up for October's Commonwealth Games and a chance to showcase itself to the world.

The couple, Yogesh Kumar Jatav, 21, and 19-year-old Asha Saini, lived just streets from each other in the crowded, claustrophobic Gokulpuri neighbourhood on the edge of the city and had started their relationship two years ago. Yet despite such geographic proximity, in the eyes of Ms Saini's family, the pair were from worlds apart; her father owned and operated a successful vegetable wholesale business, while Mr Jatav, whose parents are dead, worked as a taxi driver. More importantly, it seems, Mr Jatav was from a lower caste.

The young man, who just two months ago had bought his own, second-hand van, had been warned off several times by Ms Saini's family. They had even tried to arrange an engagement for her with a man from outside Delhi, of whom they approved.

Yet Ms Saini would not desist from seeing "her poor cabbie friend", who she would meet at the local market, their illicit encounters unavoidably known to the entire community.

Perhaps because of this, two weeks ago her family sent her to live with an uncle in another neighbourhood, about 15 miles away.

Mr Jatav's family and friends said that on Sunday, Ms Saini's mother contacted the young man, either by phone or in person, and asked him to come to that uncle's house that evening. When he arrived, he was allegedly seized, tied up and tortured.

Neighbours claimed they heard shouting coming from the house and tried to intervene, but were sent away by the uncle who said they were taking care of "family business". One neighbour told reporters that several times during the night they heard a young woman screaming: "Do whatever you want to me, please just let him go." At around 3.30am the noises stopped.

The following morning, with Mr Jatav's red Maruti van still parked outside the uncle's house but with no one apparently inside, the neighbours called the police. When they broke down the door, they found the bodies of the young couple, still bound. Some reports said electrical wires were coming from the wall. Others said metal bars had been used to beat the pair.

Delhi police have arrested Ms Saini's father and her uncle, Om Prakash, and they say they are still looking for other members of the family.

When he was brought before court yesterday, Ms Saini's uncle apparently confessed to the crime and told reporters: "We killed them using an electric shock. Yogesh had come to our house. We don't feel any remorse."

Kiran Walia, Delhi's minister for health, women and child development, told the Mail Today newspaper: "This is a barbaric act of violence and should be condemned. It is my duty to get the perpetrators punished."

Source

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[Teacher Mark 53]

What a world we live in.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

[Niels Bohr 72]

What's despicable is that the father killed his own daughter. He had the will to kill his own daughter, and without any regrets.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Gee. They're not Muslim

[Ban Hammer 14,364]

Gee. They're not Muslim

they musta not dug deep enough into the story.

[trillium13 84]

What's despicable is that the father killed his own daughter. He had the will to kill his own daughter, and without any regrets.

I find that to be the most disturbing part. It's hard for me to have hope for the world when reading stories like this. Killing your own child (after torturing her) in the name of religion. I don't have words for that.

[john & jean 37]

I find that to be the most disturbing part. It's hard for me to have hope for the world when reading stories like this. Killing your own child (after torturing her) in the name of religion. I don't have words for that.

I will help with the words:

There is a special place reserved, for those that kill their children.

IN HELL

[Sofiyya 1,687]

they musta not dug deep enough into the story.

Nah, they're Hindu.

[BishopM 114]

Nah, they're Hindu.

to the kids

Sofiyaa, or anyone, I'm curious. Certainly caste is built into Hinduism, but it really is much more than that as it permeates all of Indian culture and history. So, do the Muslims, or Buddhists or Christians, who are Indian and live in India still follow the caste system. They won't be bound to it (I suppose) because they don't follow the Gita(s)...but still...politically and socially it must have a big impact on their lives, perhaps unavoidable even...

My advance apologies is this is a somewhat naive question...

Blessings to this family and to India - Bishop-ji

[Niels Bohr 72]

We can't talk about another religion like that. We've seen with other religions including Christianity, Catholocism, etc...have people commiting the same atrocity. We can't single out Hinduism based on a case like this.

[Ban Hammer 14,364]

Nah, they're Hindu.

that's just a front

[^_^ 5,021]

Gita(s)

The Bhagawad Gita is a single text. No plural form required. Perhaps you're thinking of the Vedas? Of course, if you were then no singular form would be required as there are many Vedas. Sooooo.... Bishop ji () one wonders what you may have been thinking of?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

to the kids

Sofiyaa, or anyone, I'm curious. Certainly caste is built into Hinduism, but it really is much more than that as it permeates all of Indian culture and history. So, do the Muslims, or Buddhists or Christians, who are Indian and live in India still follow the caste system. They won't be bound to it (I suppose) because they don't follow the Gita(s)...but still...politically and socially it must have a big impact on their lives, perhaps unavoidable even...

My advance apologies is this is a somewhat naive question...

Blessings to this family and to India - Bishop-ji

Although the caste system is primarily a feature of Hindu culture, it can be found among followers of other religions in India, including Muslims. More common among Muslims is a cultural system called ka'fah, or the law of equality, where, women, in particular, are to marry at or above their social status. However, this concept predates Islam and is really a throwback that some have tried to incorporate into the faith.

We can't talk about another religion like that. We've seen with other religions including Christianity, Catholocism, etc...have people commiting the same atrocity. We can't single out Hinduism based on a case like this.

I agree, but my remark was provoked by how articles about honor killings have repeatedly targeted Islam as condoning the practice of honor killing, when it does not. It is cultural and is found among most social and religious groups thoughout the globe.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Sofiyya

[^_^ 5,021]

Sofiyya makes a fair point.