A horrific incident of 'honour killing' was reported from Gaya where a village panchayat of Mahadalits sentenced lovebirds to death. Soon after the verdict, Jairam Manjhi (25) and Parvati (16), were beaten to pulp in the presence of a hundred of villagers including close relatives of the girl at Ametha village under Wazirganj block in Gaya district on Wednesday. later, the bodies of the two were put on a funeral pyre and torched.
Police reached the village three hours after the tragic incident and found only their ashes while the perpetrators of the crime fled. Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaaj said it was an honour killing. Police have arrested only two women, both aunts of the girl in the case.
Jairam of Kasiadih village was married to Shakuntala of Ametha village. The father of three kids allegedly had an affair with Parvati, daughter of Shakuntala's elder brother Bhola Manjhi. Jairam, a few days ago came to Ametha and eloped with the girl, a Class IX student.
The girl's relatives launched a manhunt and finally caught them in Paharpur village and brought them to Ametha village. While the panchayat announced the punishment, her relatives including women were also present and they took part in thrashing and stoning them.
Wazirganj DSP Manoj Kumar Sudhanshu said first the villagers killed them with lathis and then, burned the bodies.
Pleading that her husband was innocent, Shakuntala named 15 people including eight women, all her relatives, in the FIR with Wazirganj police. The accused persons including the girl's parents are absconding.
Shakuntala told police that her husband had phoned her to inform that he was going to the home of a relative with Parvati and would return on Wednesday. The girl too had informed her parents about it, she claimed.
As per the information, the villagers were hell bent on eliminating the married man and the teenaged girl for eloping. While the panchayat was held, a few people with firearms had taken the position to scare the villagers so that nobody should oppose or resist the punishment.
When the police led by SSP Maharaj reached Ametha village, the locals were not ready to speak. When some women confronted the police, they feigned ignorance while majority of the men have fled the village. However, the police through other sources was told that women too were actively involved in the panchayat decision and meting out the punishment. Some villagers also confessed that the family was aware about the affairs between Jairam and the teenaged daughter of his brother-in-law (sala) but did not apprehend that they would elope.