Image Courtesy:indiatoday.in
A young couple was found dead in Banaskantha’s Tharad taluka on Sunday. According to news reports, the couple was found hanging from a tree in the outskirts of Mangrol village by local residents who had chanced upon the bodies and informed the police.
The male victim has been identified as Mahesh Chauhan (25), a resident of Mavsari village in Banaskantha’s Vav taluka, stated news reports. According to the police, “Chauhan’s family said he left his house on Saturday to travel to Dantiya village in Banaskantha”. The police added that they are “yet to ascertain the identity of the woman” and have registered a case of accidental death.
Another case was reported involving a native of Banaskantha. According to a news report the victim, 25-year-old Amrat Rathod, a resident of Chaladra village in Bhabhar taluka of Banaskantha, was found hanging in a hotel room on Sunday evening. The police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against five persons including the victim’s wife.
The incident was reported on Sunday when Rathod was found dead in a hotel in Tharad. Police told the media that Rathod, a student at ITI College in Bhabhor, had married Payal three months ago, had left home on Saturday morning, telling everyone he was going to college. However, when he did not return till evening, his family called him, and Rathod reportedly told them that he had “travelled to Palanpur city for a job interview and would return by Sunday evening.”
News reports quoted the police complaint filed by Jetshi Rathod, Amrat Rathod’s elder brother, recalling the tragic manner in which they discovered what was happening. “On Sunday around 4:30 P.M, I received a video on WhatsApp from one of my brothers, who told me that Amrat had sent him a video. In the video, Amrat was claiming that he is going to take the extreme step and took names of four men and his wife Payal as the ones responsible for his death. I rushed to Bhabhar police station to seek help. However, in an hour’s time, I was informed that Amrat’s body had been found,” he said.
Police told the media that Rathod, in his video message, claimed that his “wife was having an affair, and alleged that he was receiving threats from the four men,” adding that they also recovered a suicide note from Rathod’s bag, in which he has reportedly named Payal, Kishan, Pravin, Anil and Vishnu as the ones “responsible for his death.” Police have lodged “a case of abetment to suicide under IPC 306 against five persons including wife of deceased” and investigations continue further.
Incidently, deaths by suicide, have often been reported from this region in the local media, even though unrelated and unconnected, many of the victims are young individuals, and the extreme step reportedly taken due to allegedly unstable relationships, etc. In May 29, 2021, the Times of India had reported that a Palanpur couple had allegedly died by suicide as their families as well as “the community” were against their marriage. The incident was also discovered when villagers chanced upon their bodies hanging from a tree in the outskirts of Manekpur village in Banaskantha.
According to the news report, the deceased were identified as Vaktaji Thakor (21) and Asmita Thakor (18). It was reported that after Vaktaji’s wife “had deserted him” he had been in a relationship with Asmita. However, the two were said to be “cousins” and their families and the village community opposed their union. It was also reported by TOI that according to police “Vaktaji used to earn a living by practicing witchcraft.”
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