This story is from May 12, 2019

What was my fault, asks Beed woman who lost husband to 'honour killing'

What was my fault, asks Beed woman who lost husband to 'honour killing'
Bhagyashree Landge and Sumet Waghmare at their 2018 wedding
MUMBAI: As yet another suspected case of honour killing was reported in Ahmednagar last week, TOI revisited a 22-year-old woman from Beed district whose family and relatives had allegedly killed her 24-year-old husband in December 2018. The woman said she is still unable to understand what her fault was.
While they belonged to the same caste, the woman's family was financially better placed than the man's.

Bhagyashree Landge and her husband Sumet Waghmare were both students of electronic and telecommunication engineering at Aditya Engineering College in Beed. They got married on October 25, 2018, with their friends as witnesses. "My parents were against our relationship and my relatives had previously attempted to intimidate and even assault Sumet. I hoped that once we got married, they would accept us. I was not aware of the massive ego of my family members and that things would go this far," said Bhagyashree, who now lives in a tin-roof house with her in-laws.
Almost two months after their marriage, Bhagyashree and Sumet had gone to write their final paper at their college. "We finished the exam and were leaving when right outside the campus gate, a person attacked Sumet with sharp objects till he fell down in a pool of blood. I kept shouting for help," she told TOI, fighting back tears.
She has since then not been able to get back to studies nor understand what her fault was. "We were both adults and loved each other. We got married and wanted to live with each other. Is that a crime," she asked.
"My brother's ego was bruised after I got married. The idea that a girl can make her own choice was too much for him to handle and that led to the killing," she said. Her brother, Balaji Landge, has been arrested while two of her cousins, who were his alleged accomplices, are currently out in bail. "I fear for my life. Sumet's parents too get threat calls. I don't know how much of a normal life will I be able to live again. I will take my final exams as it was Sumet's wish to see me as an engineer. I will never marry again."
In an appeal to all parents, Sumet's father Shivaji, a farmer, said, "Parents should make their daughters independent and also support their decisions. If she chooses her life partner, they should support her if he is a good person, and if they don't like her decision there are ways to explain things to a child, why go to such an extent," he said. "I feel bad for Bhagyashree that she had to go through all this at such a young age. I will take care of her as my daughter."
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About the Author
Bhavika Jain

Bhavika Jain, senior correspondent with The Times of India. While her primary beat is the BMC, she also keep tab on stories relating to other beats like heritage, environment and health. When she is not scouting for news stories, she usually watch films or try out new places to eat.

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