Dhanraj Shah, 21, from Ulti Tol, Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality-8, and Laxmi Kumari Yadav from Bhokraha Narsing Rural Municipality-6 who had love marriage at a temple in Biratnagar on July 9, held a press conference in Biratnagar on 15 November and expressed that they were displaced from their settlement because of their inter-caste marriage.
The victims stated that they were forced to leave their home due to caste-based discrimination, threats, and continuous pressure. After their marriage, the couple were compelled to hide, sometimes in India and sometimes elsewhere, they said at the press conference. At the press conference, Dhanraj Shah stated that the bride’s family, who did not accept the marriage, had been threatening to kill him and his family, which forced them to leave the settlement. Shah also alleged that after they left, his father-in-law, Upendra Yadav, tied up his father, Gunanand Shah, and beat him, but the police were unwilling to register a complaint.
Laxmi Yadav stated that although they had married willingly after reaching the appropriate age, her family is now attempting to entangle her husband in false cases. She said her parents did not accept the groom and has been continuously pressuring her to leave her husband and return home. The couple also stated that they had registered their marriage at the ward office of the rural municipality after the wedding. Because Laxmi does not yet have citizenship, complaints have been filed with various authorities portraying her as a ‘minor’ in order to portray her husband as a criminal and deliberately draw him in a false case. The couple has urged all relevant authorities to ensure their right to return to the village and live independently with protection of human rights and guaranteed security.