Attacked by father for marrying Dalit man, Madhavi battles for life in Hyd hospital

The attack on Madhavi and Sandeep comes days after a similar incident took place in which 24-year-old Pranay lost his life.

news Caste

Hours after the attack on 21-year-old Madhavi and her husband 23-year-old Sandeep, Madhavi’s condition remains critical, doctors at Hyderabad’s Yashoda hospital told TNM.

A team of 15 specialists is currently monitoring and observing the 21-year-old who had been hacked with a sickle near a Hyundai showroom in Hyderabad’s Erragada, by her own father, Manoharachari. According to Sandeep's family, Manoharachari was angered by his daughter’s decision to marry Sandeep allegedly because he was from a different caste. While Sandeep belongs to a scheduled caste, Madhavi's family (OBC) are goldsmiths by profession.

The couple was rushed to Neelima hospital. Sandeep sustained a gash to the cheek and is stable now, however Madhavi was shifted to Yashoda hospital. “There have been multiple injuries and a lot of blood loss. The vessels supplying her brain have been cut and we are trying to control the bleeding first. There appears to be some clot formation also. We will have to take her up for an angiogram and CT scan to assess the complete extent of damage,” doctors at Yashoda hospital said.

Madhavi’s left hand suffered several grievous cuts, and is nearly amputated as per doctors, “Her hand was practically hanging by the skin when she was brought to us. We are focusing on trying to save her life first, that is what is important.”

While a few of Sandeep’s relatives came to the hospital to see the couple, it can’t be said with utmost certainty whether any of Madhavi’s family has come.

Speaking to TNM, Sandeep's uncle Venu said, "The couple got married around a week ago, later they told us about it from police station. And we accepted their marriage and they have been staying in Erragadda with our family. Everyday in the evening after getting drunk, Madhavi's father would come and terrorise us, saying that he'll throw bomb and give other threats, but in the morning he would act normal. In fact two days ago he came to our house again and asked to send their daughter back. We said that if the daughter is willing, she can, but Madhavi refused. We never thought that he would go to such an extent. We are equally shocked.”

He further added, “Though Chari would act normal in the morning, I always suspected his intentions, so I cautioned the couple against venturing out. But the girl was in constant touch with Chari, thinking that he would never harm her."

A number of activists have also gathered at the hospital. Noted womens’ rights activist Sandhya, from Pragathiseela Mahila Sangam, said that it seems to be a caste killing, “You can see the number of people who praised Amrutha’s father Maruti Rao for the action he took, this has brazened others to perform similar acts,” she said citing the murder of 24-year-old Pranay on September 14 in Miryalaguda.

Venu further stated that after the Miryalaguda incident, he had a hunch and asked the couple to not go out for a few days. However since Manoharachari was visiting daily and taking her into confidence, the couple decided to go, “Even today, if I would have known, I would have told them not to go, but the girl probably decided to go because her father called,” he said.