Dalit boy, two friends killed by upper caste girlfriend's family in Nepal

A 19-year-old Dalit boy and two of his friends were killed allegedly by the family members of an upper caste girl he wanted to marry in western Nepal. The issue was raised in Nepal's parliament on Tuesday after which the government formed a five-member probe committee led by the Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry to investigate the incident.

The murders took place on Saturday night when the boy, Nabaraj Bika, a resident of Jajarkot district, along with his 18 relatives and friends had gone to the house of his 17-year-old girlfriend, Sushma Malla, who was supposed to get married to another man the next day. Nawaraj belonged to a lower caste while the girl belongs to a higher Chhetriya caste. The girl's parents were against her marriage with Nabaraj.

As Navaraj reached the girl's house, her mother called the villagers and relatives who chased the boy and his accomplices, police said. They attacked the boy's group with weapons and stones in which the boy and two others died on the spot and five others sustained injuries.

Three others, who escaped after jumping into a nearby river to save their life, are missing. Police have arrested 12 people, including a ward chairman, for their alleged involvement in the incident.

The matter was raised by many parliament members in the House of Representatives on Tuesday and the lawmakers demanded stern action against the culprits. The boy's family members have declined to receive his body unless action is taken against the attackers.

"My son had to die just because he was from a Dalit family. We will not receive the bodies unless the culprits face legal action," said the boy's father..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)