Mamta and Kamlesh were both full-term pregnant, while Kalu had given birth barely a month back. The three sisters, who wanted to make a living by studying hard, were reportedly married to men who used to beat them under the influence of alcohol. The men had studied till fifth and sixth grade.
Kalu (27), Mamta (23), and Kamlesh (20), along with Kalu’s two children, were reported missing on Wednesday. As per local sources, the police failed to launch a search for them till Saturday.Their bodies were recovered on Saturday from a well found around 2 km from their homes. The police are also investigating a dowry angle in the case.
The three brothers- Narsi, Goryo and Mukesh - have been arrested by the police and are being questioned in connection with the deaths.According to the FIR, the father of the accused also committed suicide a few years back.
A day before the incident, Mamta had written on her WhatsApp status, "It is better to die once than to die every single day."
Their family members have shared the screenshot of the WhatsApp status of the youngest sister, Kamlesh, in which she wrote that their "in-laws are the reason" behind the sisters' decision to end their lives.The three women were reportedly victims of domestic abuse. According to a local, Kalu Devi had to be hospitalised for 15 days after she was allegedly thrashed by her in-laws. She had reportedly sustained eye injuries and had just got back from the hospital.
The youngest sister was beaten up recently after she spoke to someone on her mobile phone, as per the police.
CHILD MARRIAGE
All three of them were married off as children in 2003. But the three women wanted to earn their living and studied hard for it. Mamta was selected for the examination of a police constable, Kalu was studying in the final year of her BA course, and the youngest sister, Kamlesh, was enrolled in university.
The husbands reportedly did not want the women to work or study.
WHAT FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURS SAID
The victims' brother, Banwari Meena, said that he had spoken with his sisters on a call the night before the incident. "But they did not talk about any problems. It didn't look like they would do all this. Every day at home, their husbands used to beat them after drinking alcohol...," he said.
A cousin of the victims, Hemraj Meena, filed an FIR against the husbands of the women, alleging domestic abuse and torture. In the FIR, it was mentioned that the youngest sister's husband broke her phone a few days back after he caught her speaking to a man on call around 1 am.
The man she was talking to has also been detained for interrogation. According to reports, he used to study with the youngest sister.
Neighbour Nandlal Meena said that the three women were very intelligent. "And there was no dearth of money in the family. Crops worth Rs 25 lakh had just been sold. There used to be fights over husbands' habit of drinking alcohol, but it never seemed that the wives would take this step. They seemed to be a very happy and loving family."
Minister for Women and Child Development Mamta Bhupesh condemned the incident. She said, "It is very heart-breaking. The government will give strict punishment to the guilty. Child marriage is a scourge against which the government is constantly taking strict steps and spreading awareness. Strict action will be taken against dowry lovers"
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