Name: Bijay Pradhan.
Died: February 18, 2023.
Age at death: 35.
Cause of death: Beaten.
Location: Patharapunja Village, Odisha, India.
Disability: Physical disability.
Details:
Bijay wanted to be married; so his uncle arranged a marriage for him. But his stepmother did not want him married because she thought he would inherit all the family’s property, and she did not want a “divyang” (Hindu: a disabled person, lit., “one with a divine body part”) to inherit. She recruited his father and stepbrothers, and together they allegedly beat him and starved him for months. Neighbors found Bijay, rescued him, and rushed him to the hospital; but even after he was transferred for advanced treatment, his injuries proved fatal, and he died.
Bijay was an autorickshaw driver.
Case Status:
Bijay’s stepmother, father, and stepbrothers are under investigation by police, suspected of murder.
Sources:
Stepmother, father allegedly murder physically-challenged son in Nayagarh district
Stepmother, Father Beat Divyang Youth To Death For Expressing Desire To Marry | Odisha
Divyang man beaten to death by stepmother, father for ‘wanting’ to marry
Odisha woman kills stepson for property