Vimal Dharmendra Vaniya (27) murdered in Rajkot, India, after inter-caste marriage

Vimal Dharmendra Vaniya
Age: 27
Children: 1
Stabbed to death: September 24, 2026
Location: Bhaktinagar Circle, Rajkot, Gujarat
Origin: India
Suspects: His brother-in-law Kamlesh and two other men

Vimal Dharmendra Vaniya, a 27-year-old Dalit man from Rajkot, Gujarat, India, left his family home with his partner in 2019. She belonged to a higher caste; he was a member of a Scheduled Caste, a Dalit community. Her family found the couple, took her back, and forced her to marry another man. According to the police complaint later filed by Vimal’s mother, Bharti, her brother-in-law Kamlesh was involved: he brought her back and arranged the new marriage.

About a year later, the woman left her parents again. She chose Vimal once more. The couple then lived in several places, eventually returning to Rajkot and moving in with Vimal’s mother and stepfather. They had a child.

At around 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2026, Vimal was with a friend near Bhaktinagar Circle in Rajkot. Three men attacked him there. One of them was reportedly his brother-in-law, Kamlesh. They restrained Vimal and stabbed him several times. He was taken to Rajkot Civil Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

At around 2:45 p.m., Bharti, who was at home, heard from Vimal’s friend that her son had been attacked. She went to the hospital with her daughter-in-law, where she found Vimal on a stretcher.

Police suspect the murder was motivated by opposition to the inter-caste marriage. The suspects have not yet been arrested.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.