Honour killing: Man axed to death by wife's family members in MP village

A 23-year-old man was allegedly brutally killed by his wife’s family members over their love marriage at a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Machhawali village in the district on Saturday night, an official said. The victim Dheeru Jatav had married a woman from the village against her family’s wishes two years ago in court and the couple had fled to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Karaira police station in-charge Satish Chouhan said.

The couple had returned to the village recently to celebrate Diwali after a gap of two years, he said, adding that the duo belonged to the same community.

The victim along with two others was heading towards a shop on Saturday evening, when the accused, including his father-in-law, abducted him, the official said.

The accused took the victim to a place nearby, where they axed him to death, he said.

The victim’s father Brakhbhan Jatav, in his complaint, stated that one of the men accompanying his son had informed him about the abduction, the official said.

On reaching the spot, the complainant claimed that he saw the accused beating his son with sticks and a rifle and later killing him with an axe, he said.

After spotting the complainant, the accused fled the scene, the official said.

Based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s father, a case of murder has been registered against seven members of the woman’s family, including her father, brothers and other relatives.

The victim’s father said that his son had married the woman against her family’s wishes and they had threatened him on several occasions.

The complainant said that he had stopped his son from coming to the village, but the latter insisted that since two years had passed, the anger of the woman’s family might have subsided.