Kaithal:
From female foeticide to rape to girls forced into unwanted marriages, incidents that have come to the fore seem to show that India just cannot save its women.
A recent one in Haryana reiterates the same.
In the state's Kasaan village in Kaithal, a 17-year-old girl was killed by none other than her own father. Her offence? She did not want to live with a 50-year-old man, whom she was forced to marry.
The remorseless father went on record to say that pride is larger than life. "We know that our pride is larger than life," Indra Singh said.
The girl had apparently gone to the police station to ask for protection but the Panchayat intervened and brought her back.
Before anybody could do anything, the girl was murdered.
The village Panchayat, however, claims that the marriage took place in harmony. "We had only decided that they should come on the 4th and then we will explain to her. The girl denied everything. We have her marriage photos. I was involved in the alliance. Although the girl had initially disagreed but later had changed her mind and the marriage took place in harmony. The panchayat has been insulted," said the Sarpanch.
The police intervened only when the girl was about to be cremated.
"The body of the girl was lying in her house when we went to file the report. We came to know it was a murder case. We have registered a case and investigations are on. The mamaji has given a statement saying that she was married to man much older. She was not interested in the marriage. We are checking facts," said Simardeep Singh, Superintendent of Police, Kaithal.
The girl's father and uncle have surrendered.