Maharashtra: A day after she “married” her lover’s corpse, a 21-year-old woman in Maharashtra’s Nanded district on Monday alleged that two policemen from Itwara police station helped her lover’s murder.
Superintendent of Police Abinash Kumar said an additional officer of the rank of SP would investigate the allegations.
“On the day of the murder, my brother Himesh took me to Itwara police station in Nanded in the morning and asked me to file a complaint against Saksham,” she told PTI Videos. Aanchal said she refused to file false complaints.
Videos of Aanchal Mamidwar’s act at the deceased’s house and her call for her relatives to be hanged for the murder went viral on social media.
Woman’s brothers arrested
Police have arrested two of Mamidwar’s brothers – Himesh and Sahil (25) – and their father Gajanan Mamidwar (45) in connection with the murder of Saksham Tate (20), which was prima facie the result of caste differences between the victim and Aanchal.
“Two police officials provoked him (Himesh) and said that he should go kill the man I love before getting into a fight with other people,” Aanchal said, adding that Himesh had invited them to visit the police station after killing Saksham.
“My brother was very angry. He told the police officials that he would come to the police station after killing Saksham. Then he killed him. My only demand is that the accused (her brother and father) must be punished the same way Saksham died… Now I have married him and I will stay with his family. I will take care of them,” she added.
Responding to the allegations, SP Abinash Kumar said that Aanchal had not made any such claim earlier.
“However, we have recorded her statement. Another officer of the rank of SP will conduct an inquiry into this allegation,” he told PTI.
Recalling the sequence of events, Aanchal claimed that her family members suddenly decided to visit their relatives in the neighboring town of Manwat. Police picked up her father and brother from a relative’s house.
How Aanchal came to know about the murder
Aanchal claimed that she came to know about Saksham’s murder on November 28 when she was reading a newspaper at Itwara police station.
She also claimed that her father and brothers have no qualms about beating people.
“Several cases have been registered against them. Blood is like water for them. They have been in prison before and they settled everything through arrangements with the police,” she said.
According to the police, Saksham (20) was standing with his friends in the old Ganj area on Thursday night when a fight broke out between him and Himesh Mamidwar.
Himesh allegedly fired at Saksham, the bullet pierced his ribs and then shattered the tile on his head, killing him on the spot, a police official said.
On Friday evening, Aanchal arrived at Saksham’s house while preparations were underway for his last rites. A devastated Aanchal then “married” his body, claiming it would make their love “immortal”.
Later, while talking to reporters, she also demanded death penalty for her father and brothers for murdering Saksham.
“I was in love with Saksham for the past three years, but my father was against our relationship due to caste differences. My family often threatened to kill Saksham and now my father and brothers, Himesh and Sahil, have done it. I want justice. I want the accused to be hanged,” said Aanchal.
She said she plans to stay at Saksham’s house from now on.
Police said that Saksham and main accused Himesh are both history buffs and were once close friends.
The Mamidwar household opposed Aanchal’s relationship with Saksham, but the couple’s refusal to end it eventually culminated in his killing and a dramatic “wedding”, police added.
Six persons have been charged with murder, unlawful assembly, rioting and other offenses in a case registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Arms Act, an Itwara police station official said.
The arrested were held in custody for three days, he added.
