In a suspected case of honour killing, a 16-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly killed in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday by family members of an upper caste girl who he loved.
Seven persons have been arrested in the case, including the girl. Two officers of the Nerul Police Station were suspended after a faction of the Republican Party of India (RPI) demanded urgent action against the police personnel, who had allegedly refused to initially register a complaint by the boy’s parents regarding his abduction by the girl’s brothers.
The boy, identified as Swapnil Sonawane, a resident of Dharave village in Nerul area of Navi Mumbai in Thane district, was in love with a 17-year-old schoolmate. However, the girl’s parents did not approve of the relationship.
On Tuesday night, a group of around 20-25 people, including the girl’s family members, severely beat up the boy with iron rods at Dharave village, police said.
Subsequently, the police arrested the girl’s brothers Sagar Naik (25), Sajesh Naik (21), father Rajendra Naik (50), mother Malti Naik (43), the brothers’ friends Ashish Thakur (23) and Durgesh Patil (22), and an autorickshaw driver Sameer Shaikh (23).
The accused have been booked under relevant IPC sections for murder, kidnapping, rioting and criminal intimidation and also under The SC and The ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and will be kept in custody till 25 July.
(With PTI inputs.)
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