Uncertain future? To-be in-laws in love end lives in Gujarat

PALANPUR: A man in his forties and his son’s to-be mother-in-law allegedly committed suicide in a village of Sabarkantha district on Wednesday.
Bodies of Jayanti Thakarda and Jagruti Thakarda were found hanging from a tree on the outskirts of Didhiya village of Khedbrahma taluka. Investigation revealed that the duo had fallen in love after the formal engagement of Jayanti’s son and Jagruti’s daughter.
In fact, Jayanti and Jagruti eloped from their native Therasana village on June 8.
Sabarkantha superintendent of police (SP) Chaitanya Mandlik said, “Prima facie it looks like uncertainty about long-term relationship and acceptance by the society led them to take the extreme step.”
“Jayanti is already married twice and was living with his second wife after divorcing his first. His son from the first wife was engaged to Jagruti’s daughter,” said deputy superintendent of police Dineshsinh Chauhan.
On Wednesday morning when the bodies were found, investigators initially could not ascertain the identity of the duo. A steel cannister was found near the bodies which had Jayanti’s name inscribed on it. “We inquired about the name in the nearby villages and learnt about their identity,” said a police official.
Pravin Patel, sarpanch of Therasana village, said, “They had eloped around a fortnight ago too, but returned home due to lockdown. They again eloped on the evening of June 8.”