Severals injured in clash after Patidars stall Dalit wedding procession in Gujarat
Ahmedabad, May 12: Police had to resort to a baton charge on Sunday after members of the Patidar community allegedly stopped a Dalit man's wedding procession in Gujarat's Aravalli district and the two sides pelted stones at each other.
The incident occurred in the evening in Khambiasr village and officials said a posse of cops had been rushed to the spot to maintain peace. Several people and policemen were injured in the stone pelting.
The wedding procession, which was held up for over five hours, could not proceed to the marriage venue due to the ruckus and family members of the groom blamed the police for the situation.
Patidar community members had stalled the procession by crowding the main road and singing bhajans and performing a yagna, the police said.
"Police have been deployed in large numbers. The situation is peaceful. The groom's family has been provided protection and we will give them cover on Monday as well," Gandhinagar Range Inspector General of Police Mayank Chavda said.
Chavda said members of both the communities had been called to sort out matters and bring about peace in the area.
One of the family members of the groom, however, alleged that they had sought protection, but the police failed in getting the procession to move forward.
"We got no police protection and were forced to come back. The members of Patidar community had blocked both the roads, making it impossible for us to move. We hope the police give us protection on Monday so that the wedding ceremony passes off peacefully," the family member said.
In another incident on Sunday, the wedding procession of a Dalit bridegroom at a village in Sabarkantha district had to be provided police cover after members of the Thakor community objected to the groom offering prayers at a local temple. The procession, however, passed off peacefully, police said.
Anil Rathod's family had sought police protection after elders of Sitvada village, belonging to the Thakor community, had objected to the procession passing through the village and his plans to offer prayers at the Bhikhabhai Vaniya temple, a villager said.
The Thakor community members had also objected to a wedding procession as the bridegroom was riding a horse on way to the wedding venue.
"The family of the Anil Rathod submitted an application to the police seeking protection for the wedding procession. In their application, the Dalit members of the village had raised apprehension that members of another community might create trouble," district Deputy Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Patel said.
"We offered police protection to the marriage procession and it passed off peacefully. The groom also visited the village temple before he left for a nearby village for the marriage ceremony," the DSP said.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
