Youth killed for honour
Batala villager had affair with girl from another community; was discovered at her place and then ‘thrashed to death’
DERA BABA NANAK (BATALA): Having an alleged affair with a girl from another community cost a village youth his life. The girl’s family allegedly assaulted him to death after he was found with the girl at her place at Hardowal Kalan village near here on Sunday.
DSP Gurmeet Singh Cheema told the Hindustan Times on Monday that 22-year-old Lovely Masih, resident of Dehar Fattupur village near here, allegedly had an affair with the girl of Hardowal Kalan village, and on Sunday morning, when Lovely came to know that the girl’s family had gone to another village to attend a function, he went to the girl’s house to meet her.
But as he was entering the girl’s house, labourers sowing paddy in the nearby fields noticed him and sounded the girl’s brother, Manjinder Singh, who, along with his companions, rushed to the spot, nabbed the youth and allegedly beat him up, Cheema said.
The girl’s brother and his companions allegedly tied the youth to a tree and assaulted him so badly that he died on the spot and they threw the body in the nearby fields.
The DSP said that on the statement of the deceased’s father, Diwan Masih, the police had registered a case of murder against Manjinder Singh and seven of his companions named Sukhwinder Singh, Chamkaur Singh, Phinder Singh, Sukha, Gopi, Jassa and Mani.
He said Manjinder Singh had been arrested while the other accused were at large.
Meanwhile, Diwan Masih told the Hindustan Times that on Sunday morning, Lovely informed them that he was going to the church, and around 3pm, he got a call from an unidentified person, saying Lovely was at Hardowal Kalan village and Manjinder, along with others, was beating him up after tying him to a tree.
But by the time they reached the spot, they found Lovely’s body lying in the fields, he added. Masih said he was not aware of his son having an affair with the girl, adding that Lovely was happily married till recently when his wife died of illness.