Bengaluru: In a shocking development, a man has allegedly torched his partner belonging to the Dalit community, to death in Bengaluru, police said on Friday.
Hirehala, who belongs to Badami in Karnataka's Bagalkot district, was enrolled in an engineering course in the same college as Daneshwari in Vijaypura district, where the duo got acquainted. After the completion of the course, both moved to Bengaluru.
Ashok Sharma, the father of the deceased, informed the police that Hirehala promised to marry his daughter during their stay in Vijaypura, telling her he would get the consent of his parents and get back to her.
Sharma, who is a Deputy Tehsildar employed under the state government, further informed that after moving to Bengaluru, the accused changed his stance, informing Daneshwari that he would not marry her as she was Dalit, thereafter leaving her.
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"When we started preparing for her marriage, she told us that he was seeing someone. They fell in love when both Sivakumar and Daneshwari were studying in the same college. She told me that she wanted to marry Shivakumar, but he did not agree.
When she asked him to marry, Shivakumar told her that they belonged to different castes, and if he married her, his parents will not allow him into their house. Our daughter has been studying courses, staying in PG at BTM Layout. "We were informed about the incident on March 16 and then I told the doctor to treat her after sending money to the hospital", Sharma said.
The tiff was followed by Daneshwari traveling to his workplace and pleading with him on the subject, leading Chandrashekar to verbally abuse her, including using casteist remarks. As per information, the accused later on called Daneshwari to an isolated area poured petrol on her, and set her alight. The victim succumbed to her injuries on March 15.
"The young man should be punished. I am also a deputy tahsildar, and as a government official, I know the law. The police are investigating the case. We want justice", he asserted.
Chandrashekar fled after the incident and still remains at large. The police have booked a case under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, as well as section 302 (Murder) under the Indian Penal Code.
