After couple found dead in Noida, man's family alleges murder, caste-based threats by woman's kin
New Delhi (PTI): Family members of the man found dead with his girlfriend inside a parked car in Noida on Saturday alleged that the couple may have been murdered, claiming they faced caste-based threats, even as police said prima facie the case appeared to be a suicide.
The couple allegedly received taunts from the woman's family and the man's family had received threats, including calls from international numbers warning of police action, they said.
The bodies of Sumit, 32, a resident of Trilokpuri in Delhi, and Rekha, 26, of Sector 101 in Noida, were found with gunshot wounds inside a locked car near Sector 107 earlier in the day. A pistol was recovered from his hand, police said.
"We believe both have been murdered and were victims of casteism," a cousin of Sumit alleged. The couple had been in a relationship for over a decade and their families were aware of it, he said.
"Sumit is my younger brother. He and the girl had been together for 12-15 years and she attended our family functions. There was never any pressure from our side," the relative told PTI.
Alleging that the couple could have been murdered, he added that the spot where the car was found was only a few hundred metres from the woman's village in Salarpur and described the circumstances as "suspicious".
Police, however, said a pistol was recovered from Sumit's hand and the car was locked from inside, indicating a possible suicide. Senior officers and forensic teams have inspected the scene and a post-mortem examination is awaited, they added.
Officials said all angles, including the family's allegations, are being examined as part of the probe. Further investigation is underway, they said.
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Voting begins for Assam's 126 assembly seats
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Guwahati (PTI): Polling for all 126 Assam assembly constituencies began on Thursday to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates, officials said.
In the high-stakes election, the ruling BJP is aiming for a third consecutive term in office, while the Congress seeks to wrest power after being ousted in 2016.
Polling, being held in a single phase, began at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations from early morning.
An electorate of 2.50 crore, including 1.25 crore women and 318 from the third gender, can exercise their franchise in 31,490 polling stations across the state.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi, assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, Leader of the opposition Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
Several cabinet ministers, including the AGP’s Atul Bora and Keshav Mahanta, and the BPF’s Charan Boro are also in the fray.
The Congress has the highest of 99 contestants, followed by the BJP (90), AIUDF (30), NDA allies AGP (26) and BPF (11).
Opposition alliance’s Raijor Dal is contesting in 13, AJP in 10, CPI(M) in 3 and APHLC in 2. Outside the two coalitions, the AAP is contesting in 18 seats, UPPL in 18, TMC 22, JMM 16 and there are 258 independents.
The ruling NDA’s main constituents are the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) while the opposition alliance comprises the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and CPI(ML).
The counting of votes is scheduled on May 4.
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