25-year-old Haresh Kumar Solanki, a Dalit man, was hacked to death by eight men outside his wife’s house, allegedly by his upper-caste in-laws, in the presence of a women’s helpline team in Varmor village of Ahmedabad district Monday evening.
Solanki, from Gandhidham in Kutch, married Urmila Zala, who is two months pregnant, almost six months ago but her parents, disapproving the inter-cast marriage, had brought her back to Varmor.
According to The Indian Express, Solanki then sought help from the 181 Abhayam team to convince his father-in-law Dashrathsinh Zala to let Urmila return with him to Kutch since she was pregnant.
As the counsellor negotiated with Urmila’s parents, police said Solanki waited in a government car outside the house. As Abhayam team came out of the house, eight people along with Dashrathsinh approached the car, forced Haresh to step out of the vehicle and attacked him with swords, knives, sticks and rods.
“After the murder, the entire family fled the village before a police team could turn up. We assume the victim’s wife has been taken forcefully by her parents and other relatives against her wishes and she was not aware of their plan to murder Solanki,” said Pravin Meena, ACP, Viramgam, Ahmedabad rural.
The eight accused are Dashrathsinh Zala, Hasmukhsinh, Jaideepsinh, Ajaysinh, Anoopsinh, Harish Chandrasinh, Pargatsinh and Indrajeetsinh. Solanki’s wife Urmila’s father, Dashrathsinh Zala, has been named the prime accused, reporterd The Indian Express.
