Shillong, June 16: The situation in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh remained tense on Friday after the murder of a 21-year-old man who was in a relationship with a woman from a different community.
The incident has sparked protests, with demonstrators demanding that the investigation be transferred to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), citing a lack of faith in the state police. The victim’s family has been calling for the perpetrators to receive capital punishment.
The victim, Manohar Lal, who worked as a mule owner, was brutally murdered and his body was dismembered into eight pieces before being dumped into a drain, allegedly by relatives of the woman involved.
The crime occurred in the Bhandal panchayat of Salooni sub-division, located approximately 75 km from the district headquarters of Chamba, near the border with Jammu and Kashmir. Manohar Lal had gone missing on June 6, and his body was discovered on June 9.
The police have detained ten individuals, including four minors, from a Muslim pastoral family, in connection with the murder.
The police took precautionary measures when a convoy carrying former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and State BJP Chief Rajeev Bindal attempted to enter Chamba district, leading to a temporary halt by law enforcement officials.
The incident has deeply affected the local community and has raised concerns about communal tensions. The demand for a thorough investigation by the NIA highlights the need for swift and impartial justice to address the heinous crime committed. Authorities are working to maintain law and order in the region while ensuring a fair investigation into the murder takes place.