Teen tied to pole, burnt alive for elder brother’s ‘fault’ of eloping with lover

In India – A 16-year-old boy was tied to a pillar and set ablaze at an abandoned rice sheller in Mansa district of Punjab on Saturday while the boy’s body was recovered on Sunday morning.

The local police have arrested three accused in the case. Both the accused and the victim belong to the Dalit community.

The deceased was identified as Jaspreet Singh. He was allegedly taken to a closed rice mill on Saturday night, where his legs were tied to the pole and he was set on fire by pouring some inflammable material.

The three accused in the case were identified as Jashan Singh, Gurjit Singh and Raju Singh.

According to a report, Station House Officer, Sukhjit Singh said that during the preliminary investigation in the matter they found out that Jaspreet had died on the spot and his body has been sent for an autopsy while the reports are awaited.

The SHO added that Jaspreet’s elder brother, Kulwinder Singh had eloped with Jashan’s sister- Rajo Kaur about two and a half years ago and later he got married.

As per the deceased’s family members, Jaspreet would often tease Jashan and his family about the marriage and would say that Kulwinder will return and start living with their family soon as he was living separately with his wife and one-year-old son.

Reportedly, the girl’s family was unhappy with the marriage and had not allowed the couple to return in the same area after tying the knot.

Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission chief Tejinder Kaur told a media person that Commission deals with issues related to Dalits versus other castes and not Dalit versus Dalit.

However, a further police investigation in the matter is underway.