Interfaith couples attacked by woman's kin in Hyderabad, husband killed

Hyderabad: B Nagaraju, 25, and his wife Ashrin Sultana, 23, were on a motorcycle when the worst the interfaith couple feared happened on Wednesday night.

At about 8.45 pm as they were at a busy crossing, Ashrin Sultana's brother and brother-in-law emerged from nowhere, attacking the couple with an iron rod, according to The Indian Express.

After they fell to the ground, the attackers pulled out a knife and stabbed Nagaraju multiple times killing him.

CCTV footage from police shows Ashrin fighting a man in a blue shirt, her brother Mubin Syed. Her brother-in-law Masood Ahmed was also involved in the attack.

Police quoted Ashrin as saying she identified her brother who attacked Nagaraju. Despite shouting for help, initially nobody turned up.

When a few bystanders intervened, the attackers fled the scene. Police say both attackers have been absconding since.

Afterwards Ashrin was rushed to a hospital by passersby, where she is reportedly stable.

Police said Nagaraju and Ashrin, hailing from Marpally village in Telangana's Vikarabad district, were in a relationship for many years.

Ashrin's family was opposed to their marriage not as much from Nagaraju being a Hindu as he belonged to the Dalit Mala community.

Ashrin told police she left her house on January 30 and got married to Nagaraju at an Arya Samaj temple the next day. On February 1, her family lodged a missing person's complaint, according to the report.

Anticipating attacks, the couple's friends took them to the Superintendent of Police of Vikarabad district informing the officer of their interfaith marriage.

Afterwards, Nagaraju's family approached the Mominpet police station where Ashrin's family was called in and given a counselling. Her parents reportedly agreed not to meddle with the couple's lives.

Still facing threats allegedly from Ashrin's family, the couple reportedly moved to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Only a week before they returned to Hyderabad, living at a rented place nearly 100 km away from their village.

Nagaraju had started working as a salesman at a four-wheeler showroom in the city.

However, her brother, allegedly, was keeping eyes on the couple's movements for at least two days before they were attacked Wednesday night.

As Nagaraju's body was brought to the village of Marpally, people protested, calling it a hate crime.

The BJP condemned the killing terming it a "religiously motivated hate crime".