Bulandshahr:
Conflicting reports have emerged in the murder of a 28-year-old man, who was gunned down in Bulundshahr, earlier this week. The wife of the victim alleged that the man who shot her husband was paid by her family.
However, the police say that he was killed because of a feud in his own family.
The story goes back to 2010 when Abdul Hakim and Mehwish, a girl from his village Aroli, had gotten married against the wishes of their parents. After being threatened by the girl's family, the two were living at a shelter in Delhi, run by a group called Love Commandos who offer protection to couples who face threats.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Gulab Singh, when the couple was still in Delhi, a fight broke out between Abdul's nephew and another man, Salman. Two other men were also involved in the fight, police added.
Abdul's family and Salman's family have reportedly been at odds ever since.
Abdul and Mehwish had returned to their village a few months earlier, believing that their families were now no longer a threat.
On November 21, 2012, Abdul and Salman got into an altercation. Abdul, along with Salman's friend went to the police station. Salman did not accompany the two.
While returning from the police station, Salman allegedly shot him in the neck, Mr Singh told NDTV.
The post mortem report showed a single bullet.
However, Mehwish alleges that the fight was orchestrated by her family, who had paid Salman to kill Abdul. She said the panchayat had decided to kill her and her husband two years back because they got married and appeared on a television show Satyamev Jayate, Mehwish added.
She said that the police did not provide them with any security after they returned to the village four months ago, despite of an order by Allahabad High Court.
Mehwish's uncle too had refuted the police version, alleging that the police are in cahoots with Mehwish's family.
"Salman is an employee of a relative of the girl. Her relative has been arrested. The cops are trying to cover things up. They have all the information," he told NDTV.