Woman, 30, burnt alive by her brothers
A woman was burnt to death by her brothers for marrying a man belonging to a different caste, police said on Sunday, in the latest incident of a so-called honour killing in India.
Rama Kunwar, 30, had eloped with her lover eight years ago and returned to her village in western Rajasthan state on Friday, hoping her family had forgiven her for marrying against their wishes.
But her still enraged brothers barged in as she was visiting her in-laws' house and dragged her outside before setting her on fire as other villagers watched.
"She thought that her parents would now accept her but as soon as her brothers came to know that she was in the village, they rushed to that house and dragged her out," Brijran Singh, a senior administrative officer of Dungarpur district, told AFP.
"She cried for help but no one came to rescue her. They also conducted the funeral on the same night to destroy evidence," he said.
Kunwar's mother-in-law however alerted the police who reached the spot and doused the funeral pyre in order to collect evidence.
One of Kunwar's brothers and six other men have been arrested. Authorities are still searching for an unspecified number of suspects, Singh added.
Honour killings - where couples are targeted because their families or communities disapprove of their relationships - have been carried out for centuries in India, especially in rural areas.
They are carried out by close relatives or village elders to protect what is seen as the family's reputation and pride in a hereditary-based caste system.
India's Supreme Court in 2011 ruled those involved in honour killings should face the death penalty.
It seems that culture overcomes law … What can be done to put an end to such atrocities ?
WT: This is cruelty , not stupidity. They knew what they were doing and sadly no one stopped them.
The stupidity and cruelty of the human race are infinite. The universe is not. (A. Einstein)
i have watched several crime patrol cases involving such acts.
brit..in villages no such law..it is the panchayat who does...and panachayat laws are sick...normally even the panchayat does not allow police to involve in village matters...i hope she gets justice and hats off to her kindness to come back to her parents for blessings. but unfortunate she got such sick parents and brothers
Nanofilm: It sems that the law already exists which says that such actions deserve the death penalty. However, local judges ignore it...
Whilst I agree that education is the answer, I also beleive that examples have to be made of such muderers....
Normally these kind of honour killings are more in village areas than in city areas. there should be a strict law for honour killing like death penalty.
omarm88: Assuming your child wanted to marry someone you did not agree with... Would you resort to voilence / murder ?
I doubt it....
omarm...every person has the right to choose his life partner because he or she might find comfortable leading life with he or she. Parents should think and understand wisely and for the happiness of their child whom they gave birth should agree too keeping aside caste or whatever. Iam sure educated parents would never think this way.
nothing can be done...educate people in village...hopefully something can be done
yeah but every choice has a consequence and she should have known better.
That is irrelivant. She made her choice and eight years have passed. No one has the right to take her life even if they disagree with her life choices ....
This is disgusting. How can she marry someone without family's approval?