Inter-caste marriage killing: Cops grill four suspects in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Four persons, all youngsters aged in their 20s, who were taken into custody by the Hyderabad City Police in connection with the murder of Neeraj Panwar, are currently being questioned to ascertain whether the killing was indeed retaliation to an inter-caste marriage.
Panwar, a businessman from Begum Bazaar, was waylaid and attacked by a group of persons with knives when he and his father Rajendar were on a scooter near the Fish Market at Begum Bazaar on Friday night.
Panwar had married Sanjana, who belongs to a different caste, about an year-and-a-half ago, defying the opposition raised by Sanjana’s family. The couple had later approached the Afzalgunj police and said they had a threat to their lives, after which the police had called Sanjana’s relatives and counseled them.
DCP (West) Joel Davis, interacting with Panwar’s relatives and other community members, said seven teams were formed after the incident and that the suspects were taken into custody.
“Interrogation of the suspects is going on. We have to find out the motive, their plan and other arrangements they made before committing the act,” he told the relatives who gathered at the DCP’s office.
The police are likely to hold a press conference announcing the arrest in the evening.
Meanwhile the Marwari Samaj, to which Panwar belonged, staged a dharna at the Shahinayathgunj police station demanding capital punishment to all those involved in the murder.
A bandh is being observed in the Begum Bazaar market by traders following a call by various traders associations on Saturday. Shops and commercial establishments have been closed since noon. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers in the area as a precautionary measure.
