In a case of honour killing, a 30-year-old woman was burnt alive in public by her brother and other relatives in Dungarpur district when she came to meet her family for the first time since her marriage with a man of another caste eight years ago, police said on Sunday.
Rama Kunwar, who eloped with Prakash Sevak eight years ago, was set ablaze on Friday in Patlasa village by her brother and cousins who did not approve of the alliance, they said.
The incident occurred in south Rajasthan’s Dungarpur district and police arrested her brother and six cousins for the alleged honour killing on Saturday.
Rama, a Rajput, left Patlasa village eight years ago after her love marriage to a Brahmin youth from the area against her family’s wishes, said Madho Singh Sodha deputy superintendent of police, Dungarpur.
He said Kalawti, Rama’s mother-in-law, filed a police complaint that said she was set on fire by Laxman Singh, Parveen Singh, Kalyan Singh, Ishwar Singh, Mahendra Singh, Bhupal Singh and Gejndra Singh.
Kalawati said Rama married her elder son Prakash Sevak and the couple was living outside since then.
On March 3, Rameshwari came with her three-year-old daughter to meet her in-laws.
On March 4, when Kalawti, her younger son and daughter-in-law, and Rama were sitting in the compound, Laxman came with around 30 other people and dragged Rama outside to a spot near the temple, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.
Police said the couple was living somewhere else and had come to their village for the first time after marriage to meet parents and in-laws.
“They beat her, dragged her out of the house to the road and burnt her alive when the woman’s husband was not present,” they said, adding that the last rites were also conducted the same night.
Police said they have arrested seven persons, including brother Laxman Singh, while efforts are on to apprehend other accused.
