Pregnant woman, husband mercilessly beaten for inter-caste marriage

Four family members of a pregnant woman were arrested after allegedly beating the latter and her husband for marrying outside their caste in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district, the police said today.
The incident happened on Friday morning in Bilara city. Sumitra's mother, sister and two brothers were apparently annoyed with her for marrying out of their caste. They kept beating Sumitra and her husband, Om Prakash, with sticks till they fell unconscious, a police officer said.
The seriously-injured couple were lying on the spot until the police rescued them and sent them to a hospital, where they are said to be out of any danger, the officer said.

"We are thankful that the woman did not suffer termination of her pregnancy inspite of being badly beaten. The husband, however, has suffered 2-3 fractures," Rajan Dushyant, superintendent of police (SP), said.
Sumitra had married Prakash, who did not belong to her caste, about four years back. Her family had severed relations with her after the marriage, said city station house officer (SHO) Gautam Jain.
"On Friday morning, when the couple was spotted by Sumitra's family members in Kalanau, they surrounded and beat them up badly with sticks," Jain said, adding that they also filmed this act.
On the basis of the victim's statement, a case was filed against six persons and the four family members were arrested, the SHO said.

The role of two others was being verified by the police, he added.