MEERUT: A Hindu-Muslim couple, recently married, was slain on Saturday morning. Their families were neighbours in a Hapur village, and the woman’s kin had opposed the marriage. The couple was slain by the brothers of the woman. Apprehending that the situation would cause communal tension, a large number of security personnel have been deployed in the village.

This is the fifth incident of honour killing in a week in this region.

Saturday’s incident occurred at Kuchesar Chaupalto village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Babugarh police station. Sources said Danista, 21, had been in a relationship with her neighbour Sonu Singh, 22.

Since the woman knew her parents would never agree to a marriage, the two quietly got married at a civil court two months ago. The girl’s relatives were unhappy with the development. On Friday night, the matter was taken up by the village panchayat, and the two were asked to stay away from each other.

On Saturday morning, as Sonu emerged from his house at 10.30 am, he was hacked to death, allegedly by Danista’s brothers Talib, Asif and Tasleem. Two friends of the brothers, Ameer and Zafroo, also joined the attack.

Hearing the commotion, Danista rushed out. Her brothers then killed her too.

Superintendent of Police RP Pandey said, “Police swung into action immediately as news arrived of the crime. Talib was arrested, the others are absconding. We have deployed staff at the village, considering the sensitivity of the matter.”

The bodies were cremated under tight security after a post-mortem examination.

Babugarh police station SHO SK Dahiya said, “The FIR has been lodged against six people. We have arrested Talib and his mother Noorjahan. The rest are absconding.”

This is the fifth case of honour killing in the region in the last week. In all these cases, the murderers have been brothers of the woman.

On Monday, a teenager who was eight months pregnant was killed by her two brothers in Hastinapur, Meerut district. The brothers discarded the girl’s body in a canal. In another shocking incident that day, a 25-year-old man shot his 20-year-old sister dead at Sival Khas village, under the jurisdiction of Jani police station in Meerut.

The father of the two filed an FIR against his own son. Police said it was a case of honour killing as the woman had allegedly eloped with her lover Asif on August 30. The woman’s brother Ashraf had filed an FIR against five people, alleging that they had abducted his sister. The girl had, however, returned a fortnight before her murder, and was living with a relative. She had returned to her own home a week before. Ashraf was upset that his sister had gone off with her lover, and the atmosphere in the house had been tense ever since she returned.

On Tuesday, in Siwaya village, a Muslim woman who had marred a Dalit man was shot in the head by her brothers. The girl is still struggling for life at a Meerut hospital.

On Friday, 22-year-old Amit killed his neighbour and wounded his sister at Rohta village. Amit escaped after the murder.

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