A 20-year-old woman was shot and killed by her father and cousin in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh after she opposed her arranged marriage and wanted to marry someone of her choice. The incident happened with police nearby. The father has been arrested, and the cousin is still on the run.
The horrific act took place on January 14, during a panchayat meeting in Gwalior's Gole Ka Mandir area, where people gathered to discuss the issue, a police team also arrived to investigate a video released by the girl.
The girl, identified as Tanu Gurjar, has accused her father, Mahendra Gurjar, and other relatives of holding her captive at their home and subjected her to physical abuse.
In a video message,Tanu stated that she has been in a relationship for six years and that her family initially supported her choice of partner. However, they later denied the marriage.
She further alleged that she has been physically assaulted by her family members and faces threats to her life. In the video, she stated, "I have been in a relationship with a man for six years. Initially, my family approved of our marriage, but later they denied it. They thrash me and also threaten to kill me... If anything happens to me, or if I die, my family will be responsible for it."
The police investigation disclosed that Tanu's family had planned her wedding for February 18th and had already sent out invitations to guests. However, Tanu firmly opposed the arranged marriage, reiterating her stance during a family meeting on January 14th.
During the meeting, Mahendra Gurjar requested the police present to allow him to speak with Tanu privately. He then took her to a room within the house and fatally shot her with a country-made pistol. Tanu's cousin, Rahul Gurjar, also fired at her before fleeing the scene.
Police instantly arrested Mahendra Gurjar at the scene of the crime. A dedicated team has been formed to apprehend Rahul Gurjar, cousin of Tanu Gurjar.
Gwalior Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Nagendra Singh Sikarwar, confirmed the incident, stating, "The woman wanted to marry a person of her choice, while the father had fixed her marriage to another person. As per information, 4 rounds of bullets hit the victim, after which she died on the spot. The forensic team has collected evidence from the incident, and the prime accused has been arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)."