Maharashtra: Inter-caste couple set on fire by girl's father, uncles in Ahmednagar; wife dies, husband injured

Ahmednagar: In a horrific and appalling incident, a newly-wed couple was set on fire in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar earlier this month by the girl’s relatives, who were against their inter-caste marriage. The girl, identified as 19-year-old Rukmini Ransingh, succumbed to her injuries while her husband, 23-year-old Mangesh Ransingh was grievously injured. 

The incident occurred at Nighoj village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district on May 1 afternoon. In her dying declaration, Rukmini named her father and two uncles for being responsible for her murder. The police have arrested her two uncles, Surendra Bhartiya, and Ghanshyam Saroj, while the search was on to nab her father, Rama Bhartiya, who has been absconding since the incident. 

Police said that Rama Bhartiya, a daily wage labourer, opposed his daughter’s relations with Mangesh, a mason, as he did not belong to their caste. The couple had got married almost six months back, against the wishes of her family, the Hindustan Times

While Mangesh belonged to the Lohar caste, Rukmini, who worked as a maid, was of the Pasi caste, said assistant police inspector Vijay Kumar Botre, who is the investigation officer in the case. The police officer said that the incident took place at her father’s residence when the girl had returned to her paternal home following a minor argument with Mangesh. 

When Mangesh came to her house to take her back, a row broke out between him and her relatives who refused to let Rukmini go along with him. Botre said, “A heated argument broke out between him and the relatives after which the accused poured kerosene over Mangesh and Rukmini and set them on fire. Both maternal and paternal relatives of Rukmini were dead against the marriage as it was outside their caste.” 

The neighbours heard the cries of the couple who rushed to help them and doused the flames. The two were taken to the hospital. However, Rukmini, who had suffered 70 per cent burns, later passed away at Sassoon Hospital in Pune while Mangesh was still undergoing treatment at the same hospital. 

The police have registered a case under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempted murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Parner Police station in the district.