Minor girl, lover lynched in Bihar

A minor girl and her Dalit married lover were lynched and their bodies set on fire allegedly by her family members at Ametha in this district, police said today.

"The victims, identified as Parvati Devi (15) and Jairam Manjhi (25), were residents of the same village and were in love. Manjhi was already married and the girl's family was opposed to the affair," Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said.

Her family members appeared before the local Panchayat which tried to strike a compromise between the two parties, but the girl's family did not agree to it yesterday.

"It was then that her family and about 15 villagers lynched the duo. Their bodies were taken to an isolated spot and set ablaze," he said.

Maharaj, who visited the village after the killings, said police had recovered charred remains of the two persons and sent them for DNA tests.

"We have arrested an aunt of the deceased girl. She has confessed to being involved in the crime. The others are absconding. An FIR has been lodged and a manhunt launched to arrest the culprits," Maharaj said.

Tension prevails at the village and a police team is camping there to prevent any untoward incident.