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Teenager 'Beaten To Death And Hanged' By Her Family For Wearing Jeans

Teenager 'Beaten To Death And Hanged' By Her Family For Wearing Jeans

Up to 10 family members have been charged with murder and destruction of evidence.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A teenage girl in India has allegedly been beaten to death and hanged by family members for wearing jeans.

Neha Paswan had just finished a day-long fast when she chucked on some denim pants at her home in the Savreji Kharg village in the Deoria district.

Several older family members disapproved of her fashion choice and it sparked a fierce argument.

However, it soon turned violent and the 17-year-old was bludgeoned to death after being struck multiple times in the head.

Some of the family are accused of taking the teen's body to a nearby bridge to dispose of it. After tossing Neha over the side, her body became tangled in railings and eventually ended up hanging for everyone to see.

The teen's mum told BBC Hindi that she's horrified by what happened.

"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," Shakuntala Devi Paswan.

"When her grandparents objected to her attire, Neha retorted that jeans were made to be worn and that she would wear it.

When Neha was badly beaten, several family members called a rickshaw driver and claimed they were taking her to the hospital for treatment.

Ms Paswan said: "They wouldn't let me accompany them so I alerted my relatives who went to the district hospital looking for her but couldn't find her.

They later found her hanging over the Gandak river and called authorities.

As many as 10 relatives are being investigated for the attack, including Neha's grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. They've been charged with murder and destruction of evidence. The rickshaw driver has also been charged by police.

According to 9News, Neha had recently been experimenting with non-traditional Indian clothing, much to the disapproval of her family.

Women's wardrobe choices in India have recently been under the spotlight as people in the country try to balance tradition with modernity.

PA

There was a huge social media movement earlier this year against a politician's comments about ripped jeans.

Tirath Singh Rawat, chief minister of the north Indian state of Uttarkhand, said the fashion style was setting a bad example for children.

He said: "Showing bare knees, wearing ripped denim and looking like rich kids - these are the values being given now.

"Where is this coming from, if not at home? What is the fault of teachers or schools? Where am I taking my son, showing his knees and in tattered jeans?

"Girls are no less, showing their knees. Is this good? While the Western world follows us, doing yoga ... covering their body properly. And we run towards nudity.

"What we do, our kids follow. A child who is taught the right culture at home, no matter how modern he becomes, will never fail in life."

Women hit back at the comments and posted photos of themselves in jeans to fight against misogyny.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: News, Fashion, India