Phulbani: A college romance that blossomed into a secret inter-caste marriage ended in tragedy on Saturday after a 22-year-old youth attempted suicide by slitting his own throat in Kandhamal district.
The incident occurred at Dugudipari village under Kalinga Panchayat in G. Udayagiri, where the youth, identified as Shubhranshu Sahu of Khajuripada, attempted to take his life following a dispute with his wife.
According to police, Shubhranshu and the 21-year-old woman, identified as Khushi in the report, had fallen in love while studying at Phulbani College. Their friendship gradually turned into a romantic relationship, leading the couple to marry secretly without informing their families.
However, when it became known that the girl belonged to a different caste, Shubhranshu’s family refused to accept the marriage. Unable to cope with the pressure, the young wife left her in-laws’ house and returned to her parental home, where Shubhranshu had also been staying for the past few days.
On the morning of the incident, around 9:30 a.m., Khushi reportedly went to a nearby stream to bathe. Shubhranshu followed her and asked her to return with him to his village, but she refused. Police said that in a moment of emotional distress, Shubhranshu took out a blade and slit his own throat.
Hearing her husband collapse, the terrified young woman alerted her parents and dialled 112. Woman Inspector Ranjita Behera of G. Udayagiri police station rushed to the spot, rescued the injured youth and transported him to the G. Udayagiri Community Health Centre in a police vehicle.
Doctors at the CHC said a deep cut required 18 stitches on his neck. As his condition remained critical, he was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Phulbani for advanced treatment.
Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway.
