A day after a 22-year-old man was brutally murdered here, five close relatives of his wife were arrested for allegedly killing him, police said. A juvenile in conflict with law has also been apprehended in connection with the murder, they said.
Neeraj P., a businessman who married a woman belonging to another caste in 2021 against her family's wishes, was killed in Begum Bazar in public view on Friday night, allegedly by five persons.
Condemning the incident, a large number of people took out a rally in the area, raising slogans and demanding that the killers be hanged, even as most of the shops in the Begum Bazaar market remained shut in protest against the killing.
In a related development, the Telangana State Human Rights Commission on Saturday called for a report from the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police by June 30 over the man's murder. The Commission on its own took cognisance of media reports on the brutal murder, an official release said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police-West Zone D. Joel Davis told reporters on Saturday that Neeraj had fallen in love with the woman, they had wanted to get married, and the proposal was placed before their elders. However, the woman's family members did not accept their proposal and refused to perform the marriage. Subsequently, the couple married at a temple in April 2021 and started living in Shamsheergunj, he said.
Recently, Neeraj had begun frequenting his shop. His wife's family and cousins lived near the shop. Provoked, they hatched a plan to eliminate him, a senior police official said.
On Friday night, Neeraj was travelling by a motorcycle along with his grandfather to their relatives' house when the accused stopped and attacked him with knives. He sustained severe injuries and died while undergoing treatment at a State-run hospital, the police said. The accused then fled the spot. A murder case was registered at the Shahinayathgunj Police Station.
The accused were drunk at the time of incident, the police said, adding that seven teams had been formed, and within 24 hours of the murder, the five accused persons and juvenile were apprehended near here. Efforts were in progress to nab the absconding accused, they said.
Neeraj's wife told television channels on Saturday that her family members were responsible for the killing. However, the woman's kin denied the allegations, claiming others had had Neeraj killed. The couple have a two-month-old baby.
“My family members had earlier threatened me and my husband of dire consequences in view of our love marriage. I want justice,” Neeraj’s wife said, adding that a year ago, they had also approached the police over a threat to their lives. The police had then counselled her family members, she said.
However, her mother said it was only after her daughter had married Neeraj that they came to know of their love affair. "We don't know who killed [Neeraj]. No one from our house is behind this murder," the woman's mother and other family members said.
Neeraj's death comes close on the heels of the killing of B. Nagaraju (25) in full public view here on the night of May 4, allegedly by his Muslim wife's brother and another person, in a case of suspected honour killing.
