An Indian teen was allegedly killed by family members in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh for wearing jeans instead of traditional clothing.
17-year-old Neha Paswan was allegedly beaten to death by members of her family in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh because they didn't like her wearing jeans. pic.twitter.com/czrO0WQZab
— Imran Ahmed (@janaan99) July 27, 2021
Neha Paswan, 17, was beaten by her grandfather and uncles with sticks and rods for choosing to wear jeans, which they deemed to be inappropriate, the Independent reported.
The teen’s mother, Shakuntala Devi, told BBC that despite opposition from family members, Paswan insisted on wearing jeans over traditional Indian clothing because she enjoyed wearing modern outfits.
“She had kept a day-long religious fast. In the evening, she put on a pair of jeans and a top and performed her rituals. When her grandparents objected to her attire, Neha retorted that jeans were made to be worn and that she would wear it,” Devi said.
Devi added that a violent confrontation ensued and the teen’s family members beat her, the BBC reported.
The teen's mom said her daughter was knocked unconscious prior to her in-laws telling Devi they would take Paswan to the hospital, but she couldn't accompany them.
“…so I alerted my relatives who went to the district hospital looking for her but couldn’t find her,” Devi said.
The following morning, Devi was made aware that someone found the body of a girl hanging from a bridge over the Gandak River, which she and other relatives later discovered was Paswan.
After the teen’s body was found, police arrested her grandfather, two of her uncles and their driver. Authorities are now looking for other suspects connected to the teen’s death.
An autopsy report shows the teen sustained life-threatening injuries to her head after she was brutally beaten, ultimately leading to her death, the Indian Express reported.
Paswan’s extended family members had a habit of condemning her for being different and going against their personal beliefs. The teen’s mom said that her in-laws tried to force Paswan to leave school and criticized her often over her choice of clothing.
The teen’s father, Amarnath Paswan, said he worked as a construction worker throughout the day in order to send all of his children to school. Devi said that their daughter aspired to one day become a police officer.
According to BBC, women and young girls in India face violence at the hands of family members because of the country's deeply rooted patriarchy.
