Nepal, July 7 -- A quiet village of Dhodlekhani in Bhojpur, a hill district of Koshi province, was shaken to its core on Saturday night by a brutal act of violence that left four members of a family dead. The horrifying incident happened in ward 2 of Ram Prasad Rai Rural Municipality, where a love story ended in a cold-blooded murder.

Thirty-year-old Rajendra Rai, a resident of ward 2 of Bhojpur Municipality, allegedly killed his wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law in a violent outburst that police believe was triggered by ongoing family tensions over his marriage.

Rajendra had married 16-year-old Manisha Giri about nine months ago in a love marriage that defied caste norms. Despite their hopes, the inter-caste union ...