'Sonipat Dalit family murders were honour killings'

CHANDIGARH: Police have stated that the murders of three members of a Dalit family in Kharkhoda town of Sonipat district have turned out to be a case of honour killings. A special investigation team (SIT) has arrested two persons from a village in Jhajjar district for the murders.
The accused have been identified as Sonu and his father Om Prakash. Sonu is currently lodged in police custody while a Sonipat court on Thursday remanded Om Prakash to judicial custody .Incharge of SIT sub-inspector Raj Singh said Sonu's younger brother Monu, who was a history sheeter, and his friend Mukesh had opened fire on the victims.
The incident occurred on November 18 when Pradeep and his parents were killed while his pregnant wife Sushila and brother were injured in the attack.
The cops had been investigating the matter from honour killing angle as Sushila hailed from a Jat family of Jhajjar while Pradeep was a Dalit.The two had married against the wishes of Sushila's fami ly. Investigations revealed that since marriage, Sushila's father Om Prakash was against her in-laws. He had been provoking Monu and Sonu to kill Sushila and Pradeep.
On November 15, Om Prakash had done a recce of Pradeep's house and had tipped off Monu, who has 17 cases of dacoity and murders registered against him in Rewari, Jhajjar Sonipat, Rohtak and Mahendergarh districts.
In his early 20s, Monu worked with another criminal Harish, who jumped parole while serving a life sentence in a murder case.
“During interrogation, Sonu disclosed that Om Prakash was desperate to eliminate Sushila and her husband. Monu was the mastermind and executor of the crime. Sonu was arrested on November 21 while our team had arrested his father on Thursday . The court has remanded Om Praaksh to judicial custody while Sonu is currently in police remand,“ said the SI.
Meanwhile, Sushila is being kept at PGIMS, Rohtak under high security and Pradeep's brother Suraj has been discharged from the hospital.