The wife of a Dalit man who was murdered by his in-laws in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has alleged that the police did not provide them with protection despite requests, reported The Indian Express on Monday.
The family of the woman, 18-year-old Vidya Kirtishahi, belongs to the Other Backward Classes community. They were against her marrying 25-year-old Amit Murlidhar Salunkhe.
On July 14, Kirtishahi’s father and cousin brother attacked Salunkhe with sharp instruments. He died in hospital on July 25.
On Sunday, Kirtishahi told The Indian Express that she and Salunkhe had registered their marriage on May 2. “After my husband’s family accepted us, we started living at their home,” she said. “However, our close friends told us that my family was threatening to kill us.”
Kirtishahi said that she and her husband had approached the Jawahar Nagar police station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city on June 10, where they were told to submit their request for protection in writing.
“We wrote in the complaint that there was a threat to our lives from my family,” Kirtishahi said. “However, we were not given any protection.”
In response to Vidya’s claims, Deputy Commissioner of Police Navneet Kumar Kavat told The Indian Express that the matter was being investigated. “We will take appropriate action if anyone is found guilty.”
Kavat noted that the police were currently providing security to the woman and her in-laws. “A 24-hour security has been provided to the family,” he said.
Earlier, the police officer had told The Indian Express that Salunkhe and Kirtishahi had not asked for police protection, a common request from intercaste and interfaith couples who fear reprisal from their families.
On the day of his death, Salunkhe’s family protested at the local police station, demanding that both his assailants be apprehended.
While Kirtishahi’s 35-year-old cousin was arrested soon after the murder, her 52-year-old father had secured anticipatory bail till August 1 from a local court.
“We told the court that earlier an attempt to murder case was filed and now a murder case has been filed [against the father],” Kavat said. “The court cancelled the bail and we have arrested him.”
Kavat added that a third person has also been arrested in the case.
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