Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A young man was brutally beaten by his in-laws in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, leading to his death during treatment, as reported by police on Sunday.
According to information, the attack was linked to an inter-caste marriage that had taken place a few months ago.
The deceased was identified as Omprakash Batham, a resident of Harsi village in Bhitarwar. He had married Shivani Jha through a court marriage about six months ago. He worked as a tractor driver in Dabra.
On the day of the incident, Omprakash and his wife had come to meet his parents. When Shivani’s family members came to know, they reached his house and attacked him with sticks and rods.
During the assault, Shivani also sustained injuries while trying to save her husband. Omprakash, who was seriously injured, was taken by his family to a private hospital in Gwalior. Despite treatment, he succumbed to his injuries.
Based on Shivani’s complaint, police had earlier registered a case of assault against four accused - Dwarika Prasad Jha, Raju Jha, Uma Ojha, and Sandeep Sharma.
After Omprakash’s death at Gwalior District Hospital, the case has been converted into one of murder, said police station in-charge Ajay Singh Sikarwar.
The couple’s relationship had faced opposition from the beginning due to their different castes.
In 2023, the couple eloped, after which the police traced Shivani. She insisted on living with Omprakash, and both began a live-in relationship. They stayed at various places including Mangrauni, Narwar, and even Uttar Pradesh, before finally getting married in January 2025 through court marriage.
Since then, they had been living in Dabra. However, Shivani’s family strongly opposed their union. During Raksha Bandhan as well, when the couple visited their village, they were assaulted by her relatives and had lodged a complaint with the police. A panchayat was also held in the village regarding their marriage, but her family remained against it.
