'I want justice': Maharashtra woman who 'married' corpse of lover claims cops abetted murder; father, brothers arrested

NANDED: A 21-year-old woman in Maharashtra’s Nanded district married her deceased lover in a symbolic ceremony on Friday, even as she levelled explosive allegations that two police personnel from the Itwara police station had encouraged her brother to kill him.The killing of 20-year-old Saksham Tate has led to the arrest of the woman’s father and two brothers. Police said caste differences between the two families were at the heart of the crime, according to news agency PTI.Aanchal Mamidwar’s brothers, Himesh and Sahil (25), along with their father Gajanan Mamidwar (45), have been arrested for murder, according to officials. The family allegedly opposed Aanchal’s three-year relationship with Saksham on caste grounds, a claim she reiterated in her statement.Superintendent of Police Abinash Kumar said an Additional SP-level officer would probe Aanchal’s allegations that two policemen had provoked her brother before the murder. Videos of her symbolic wedding at Saksham’s home and her demand for justice have since gone viral.Aanchal, in a detailed account, claimed the chain of events began on the morning of the murder when her brother took her to the Itwara police station and urged her to file a complaint against Saksham.“Two police officials told him he should kill the man I love rather than fight with others,” she alleged. “My brother, in anger, told them he would come back to the station after killing Saksham.”She said she only learnt of Saksham’s murder later that day — while reading a newspaper inside the same police station.The incident took place on Thursday evening when Saksham was standing with friends in the old Ganj area. A fight broke out between him and Himesh, who allegedly shot Saksham in the ribs and then struck him on the head with a tile, killing him on the spot.Aanchal said her family had long threatened Saksham over their inter-caste relationship. “My father and brothers have finally done what they always warned. I want justice. I want the accused to be hanged,” she said. She also alleged that her father and brothers had a history of violent behaviour and had “managed” previous cases with the police.Police said both Saksham and Himesh had criminal records and were once close friends.Six people have been booked under sections related to murder, unlawful assembly, rioting, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Arms Act. The arrested accused have been remanded to three days’ police custody.SP Kumar said Aanchal had not mentioned police involvement in her initial statement, but her allegations have now been recorded for further investigation.Police confirmed that the Mamidwar family’s strong opposition to the relationship — and the couple’s refusal to end it — ultimately triggered the killing, followed by Aanchal’s symbolic wedding as a public stand for justice.