The Voice Newspaper, Rattan Mall 

In India, it’s only in Bollywood movies that a girl from a well-heeled family could defy her parents and the class- and caste-minded society of India and get married to a lowly rickshaw driver.

Yet, that is what Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu (Jassi) of Maple Ridge did when she went to Punjab – and got murdered for it.

As her husband, Sukhwinder Singh (Mithu), who was almost murdered himself, fought for justice for his dead wife, he was framed in a rape case and jailed. He was recently acquitted.

And just this week, the very village - Kaunke Khosa near Jagraon - that shunned him for four years, elected him a “panch” (councillor). Quite obviously, most of his fellow villagers believe him. According to a Punjab newspaper, “Mithu was declared winner by one vote only after 10 other votes in his favour were cancelled late (in the) evening.”