Santosh had courted Poonam for many years. A grade XI student at Janata Secondary School, Santosh took the drastic step after hearing of his classmate´s engagement to another guy. [break]
According to Poonam´s cousin and classmate Kavita Singh, Santosh hit Poonam on her back while she was heading to college. He then stabbed the fallen girl with a knife.
“Her breathing had stopped when I returned with her family and villagers,” Kavita added. “By the time the police reached the spot, she had died of excessive bleeding,” said chief of Siraha Police Bikash Shrestha.
Kavita said Poonam had turned down Santosh´s proposal several years ago. Poonam was good in studies and joined Softtech College in Lahan after passing the School Leaving Certificate (SLC). Santosh also enrolled himself in the same college. “He kept on following her when tired of Santosh advances she returned to her own village to get enrolled in Janata Higher Secondary School,” Kavita revealed.
They would quarrel as Santosh often pressed her to marry him. “I never thought that the rejecting a marriage proposal would lead her to death,” said Kavita.
Poonam´s father Mahendra Mahato, who passed out after hearing the news of his daughter´s death, has yet to regain consciousness.
Meanwhile, the police had to fire in the air to disperse crowd after irate relatives and locals started vandalizing Santosh´s house and attempted to set it on fire.
Locals had also blocked the East-West Highway at Choharba burning tires. Police fired six tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge but later stopped fearing the situation to go out of control.
The highway was opened after Siraha Chief of the Armed Police Force Rabindra Thakur and police chief Bikash Shrestha apologized for using force and gave assurance to provide compensation for the victim´s family and take stringent action against Santosh.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested Santosh from Jhutki village in northern Siraha at five in the afternoon. Police had also earlier arrested two youths on suspicion of having assisted Chaudhary.
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