Ahmedabad, Aug 1 (PTI) Police in Gujarat’s Banaskantha have begun a probe into the death of an 18-year-old girl just two days before a habeas corpus petition filed by her live-in partner was to come up for hearing in the High Court.
Based on the complaint, which was submitted by her live-in partner Haresh Chaudhary (23) in the form of an application last month, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana has ordered a probe in the teen girl’s death, an official said.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police of Danta division is conducting an inquiry into the matter, Makwana confirmed on Friday.
In his complaint, Chaudhary, a resident of Tharad taluka in Banaskantha, alleged she may have been killed by her kin as they were opposed to their relationship and wanted to marry her off to someone else.
He also blamed Tharad police for the death claiming they had taken away the girl forcibly and handed her over to her kin.
As per Chaudhary, he and the girl had signed a “formal agreement of live-in relationship” at Ahmedabad in May, after which they travelled to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. However, on June 12, three Tharad policemen and a kin of the girl tracked them down to a hotel in Rajasthan.
The girl was handed over to her uncle, while he was arrested in an old case filed under the Prohibition Act in Bhachau in Kutch district, Chaudhary said in his complaint.
When the girl was brought to Tharad police station the next day, she refused to go to her parents’ place. According to Chaudhary, the police coerced her to go home by threatening to frame him in false cases.
After coming out of jail in the end of June, Chaudhary learnt the deceased had messaged her twice on June 17 using Instagram, in which she expressed fear of being killed by her kin or being married off to someone else.
He couldn’t read the messages when they were sent since he was in jail at the time, as per Chaudhary.
He claimed he contacted his lawyer, who filed a habeas corpus petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking that the girl be produced before the court.
However, on June 25, just two days before the hearing, Chaudhary learnt that she had died on the same day.
In his complaint, which he forwarded to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the State Human Rights Commission, Chaudhary alleged her kin had killed her and performed the last rites without informing police or conducting post mortem.
When the petition came up for hearing on June 27, the HC was informed that the girl for whom the petition was filed has died.
Following this, the bench of Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati disposed of the plea after taking on record the girl’s death certificate.
In his complaint, Chaudhary has sought action against the girl’s family, including her father and uncle as well policemen who helped them. PTI PJT BNM
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