Dalit man beaten to death for inter-caste marriage in Madhya Pradesh village

Police said a murder case has been registered against 12 people, including the woman’s relatives, after the Dalit man, Om Prakash Batham, died on Sunday.

Published on: Aug 25, 2025, 18:10:00 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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BHOPAL: A 25-year-old Dalit man, who had to leave after marrying outside his caste in Gwalior district’s Harsi village, was beaten to death by his wife’s family and others soon after he returned to the village on August 19, police said.

Police said the man succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said a murder case has been registered against 12 people, including the woman’s relatives, after the Dalit man, Om Prakash Batham, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.

Police said Om Prakash Batham had married Shivani Jha in January this year against the wishes of her family. Subsequently, the Harsi panchayat had imposed a ₹51,000 fine on Batham for the inter-caste marriage and ordered villagers to boycott the family.

It is unclear whether Om Prakash Batham paid the penalty at the direction of the panchayat. But the couple had to leave the village.

Ajay Sikarwar, police station in-charge, Belgada, said Om Prakash was attacked by his wife’s family soon after the couple returned to the village on August 19.

Shivani’s father Dwarka Jha is alleged to have led the assault and was on the run along with other suspects.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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