Ahmednagar: In a horrific and appalling incident, a newly-wed couple was set on fire in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar earlier this month by the girl’s relatives, who were against their inter-caste marriage. According to the police, 23-year-old Mangesh Ransing, and his wife Rukmini (19), were doused in kerosene and set on fire in Ahmednagar’s Nighoj village by three of Rukmini’s relatives — including her father and two uncles — on May 1 in Nighoj village.

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Rukmini Ransingh (19), who had sustained 70 per cent burns in the incident, passed away Sunday night while undergoing treatment in Pune’s Sassoon General Hospital, police said. Her husband, Mangesh Ransingh, a mason, is being treated for 50 per cent burns at the same hospital, they said.

Assistant Police Inspector Vijaykumar Botre of Parner police station said that Mangesh and Rukmini were married around six months ago amid strong opposition from the girl’s relatives, who vehemently objected to the inter-caste marriage.

The incident occurred at Nighoj village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district on May 1 afternoon. In her dying declaration, Rukmini named her father and two uncles for being responsible for her murder. While the girl’s father, Rama Bhartiya, is absconding, her uncles, Surendra Bhartiya and Ghanshyam Saroj have been arrested by the Parner police. An FIR has been lodged against all three.

Police said that Rama Bhartiya, a daily wage labourer, opposed his daughter’s relations with Mangesh, a mason, as he did not belong to their caste. The couple had got married almost six months back, against the wishes of her family, the Hindustan Times reported. 

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