In Uttarakhand, a Dalit man was murdered by his in-laws for marrying an upper-caste woman.

On Friday, an official in Uttarakhand’s Almora district said that a Dalit man was killed by his in-laws for marrying an upper-caste woman.
Jagdish Chandra (39), a Dalit political activist from Panuadhokhan village, was discovered dead in a car in Bhikiasain town on Friday, according to Salt sub-division tehsildar Nisha Rani. She said his body had 25 wounds, adding that he appeared to have been killed with blunt objects like batons.

Chandra’s wife’s mother, stepfather, and stepbrother were apprehended while transporting his body in a car to dispose of it, according to Rani, and were immediately arrested.

The couple married on August 21, and Chandra was allegedly kidnapped by his in-laws on Thursday from Shilapani Bridge, according to Rani.

Chandra ran unsuccessfully in a byelection for the Salt assembly seat in 2021 as a candidate for the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party. He also ran in the state assembly elections in February of this year, but lost.

According to Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader PC Tiwari, the couple wrote to the administration on August 27 seeking security, citing a threat to their lives.

He claimed that if the administration had responded to the couple’s complaint, Chandra might have been saved.

He demanded Rs 1 crore in compensation for the victim’s wife, calling the murder a travesty for Uttarakhand.