ARARIA: Seven persons were injured in an acid attack over an inter-caste marriage row in Bihar’s Araria district.
Police said the family members of the woman, who had married a man of her choice, were opposed to the alliance and threw acid on relatives and friends of her husband “to teach them a lesson”.
The incident took place at Jagta village in Raniganj police station area of the district, 300 km northeast of Patna, on Sunday when woman’s family members reached the house of her in-laws and forcefully tried to take her to her father’s place, also in the same village.
“I was not ready to go to my father’s house but they were adamant. A scuffle ensued and they threw acid on us,” Priyanka Kumari said, adding that “they had come with the chemical.”
Prahlad Kumar, Fekan Choudhary, Bindeshwari Choudhary, Basanti Devi, Mohammad Asfaque Alam, Shanawaz Alam and Binod Kumar, who were injured in the attack, have been referred to Araria district hospital after first aid at Raniganj primary health centre (PHC).
Police said Priyanka Kumari had earlier eloped with Dimpal Choudhary on March 14. Her father subsequently lodged an FIR against five persons, including Dimpal Choudhary, his mother and brother, at Raniganj police station, the police added.
“On March 20, the couple surrendered in an Araria court, which exonerated the accused of all charges after finding that Priyanka Kumari and Dimpal Choudhary were adults and had left the village on their own. They later got married in Araria court,” the police added.
{{/usCountry}}“On March 20, the couple surrendered in an Araria court, which exonerated the accused of all charges after finding that Priyanka Kumari and Dimpal Choudhary were adults and had left the village on their own. They later got married in Araria court,” the police added.
{{/usCountry}}“Everything was normal since the marriage, but Priyanka’s relatives had been frequently threatening to teach us a lesson,” said Bindeshwari Choudhary, who was injured in the attack, said. “They had come to take Priyanka with them and when we opposed they attacked us with acid,” he added.
Meanwhile, station house officer of Raniganj police station King Kundan said, “We have registered FIR against seven persons on the basis of Priyanka’s statement and arrested Shyam Thakur, Chandan Thakur and Chitranjan Thakur.”