Guj: Parents kidnapped over son's love affair

Palanpur, May 19: Parents of a boy, who had married out of caste, have allegedly been kidnapped by members of the community opposed to the alliance in Changwada village in this district last Monday.

Umabhai Joitabhai Gagoda (50) and Raiben (48) were beaten up before they were kidnapped, their second son Ramesh has said in a complaint to the police.

The two major castes, Anjana and Kadwa Patel, in this village have been at loggerheads ever since the love affair between Ramila Anjana Patel (24) of the Anjana community and Suresh Umabhai Patel (25) of the Kadwa Patel community came to light. Ramila's parents were against their daughter marrying outside the caste.

Ramila, according to some locals, was already married but hated her husband. She had, then, decided to live with Suresh. About one-and-half month back, the two had registered their marriage but Ramila's relatives wanted the couple to break away. Following the opposition, the two eloped from Changwada.

In retaliation, however, seven persons kidnapped the parents of the boy, Ramesh has said in his complaint.

Police sub inspector B S Barad said a complaint had been registered but no arrests have been made so far.

Locals, who have remained aloof from casteism, have blamed the police for failing to arrest the culprits. Dinesh Ramabhai Patel, a local, claimed that the culprits are freely moving in the village.

He said a ''Mahasabha'' will be convened and a rally organised to highlight the police inaction.

UNI