Four people were killed and eight injured in a clash at a village panchayat in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajur district on Thursday night.
The deadly fighting erupted over a dispute between two families over silver ornaments that a girl took with her when she eloped with her lover more than a year ago, police said.
“Madho Bhudariya, 20, and Leela Guliya, 21, both residents of Bakodiya village, ran away from their homes to marry as per the Bhilala tribe’s tradition. Leela had taken with her silver jewellery weighing 1kg that belonged to her mother,” said Manoj Singh, superintendent of police, Alirajpur.
As per the tribe’s tradition, a man or a woman can pick a life partner at a village fair and can elope. Later, a community feast is held in the village to recognise the marriage.
Singh said the girl’s family had been asking her to return the silver jewellery since they eloped in June 2020, but she has refused to do so.
“On Thursday, a village panchayat was called to settle the issue. As per tribal tradition, the boy’s family had to give money to the girl’s family to get their consent for the marriage,” Singh said.
But during the talks, Singh said, the two families argued, resulting in an escalation of tensions. As the talks turned violent, the two families attacked each other with sticks and sharp-edged weapons, he narrated.
{{/usCountry}}But during the talks, Singh said, the two families argued, resulting in an escalation of tensions. As the talks turned violent, the two families attacked each other with sticks and sharp-edged weapons, he narrated.
{{/usCountry}}In the ensuing fight, Madho’s cousin Ismail Bhudariya, 25, and Sukhdev Bhudariya, 22, were killed by Leela’s family members; while Leela’s grandfather Bhal Singh Guliya, 50, and her uncle Nandu Singh, 24, were killed by Madho’s family members, Singh said.
All four people were beaten and stabbed to death on the spot while more than eight were injured and rushed to the district hospital, the police said.
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Police booked 13 people, including the four deceased, in two separate FIRs registered under section 302 (murder) and 147 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code. Eight people were arrested on Friday, said Mohan Singh Damor, the town inspector of Chandpur police station.
Devendra Pachaya, a local villager, said, “After the man Madho and the woman Leela eloped last year and got married in Gujarat, as per tradition, a panchayat was called and a decision was taken that after their return to the village, Madho’s family will return the silver and also give ₹20,000 to Leela’s family. Even after one and a half years, Madho’s family didn’t fulfill the promise… On Thursday, the panchayat was called to settle this issue.”