Forbidden to marry, a Hindu-Muslim couple slit each other's throats

The couple decided to commit suicide at one of the most internationally recognized monuments of love, built by emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Rajveer Singh and Shabnam Ali wanted to marry each other but were forbidden by their parents, on account of their different religions. The couple slit each other’s throats at Taj Mahal, as part of their ‘suicide pact’.

Police stated that both the boy and the girl- who were found after lying in a pool of blood, were in a stable condition now, in a hospital on Wednesday.

‘This couple, one of whom is a Hindu and the other a Muslim, tried to commit suicide at the Taj,’ said police deputy superintendent Aseem Chaudhary. ‘The girl cut her throat first followed by the boy.’Marriages outside caste and religion are still detested in India and result in honour killings ( which are deemed as necessary to avenge a family’s hurt pride or honour).

‘Both Shabnam and I tried hard to convince our parents that they should allow us to get married, but the boundaries of religion remained the biggest hurdle,’ the Times of India quoted Singh as saying. ‘We did this after failing at all possible ways to be together.’

Taj Mahal is perhaps the most famous monument worldwide and is a symbol of love, since it was built by emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who had died giving birth to his child in 1631. Famous world leaders who have been photographed at the Taj Mahal include President Barrack Obama and Princess Diana. Other world leaders also visit the monument when they are on a tour of India.