Open prison system in India sparks outrage after two convicted killers fall in love and receive permission to marry while serving life sentences.
In the Indian state of Rajasthan, a wedding recently took place that shocked the entire country.
Instead of blessings, it was met with anger, curses, and disbelief from the public.
The reason was simple and disturbing.
Both the bride, Priya Seth, and the groom, Hanuman Prasad, were convicted murderers still serving life sentences. 
Photos from the ceremony quickly spread online.
Many Indians struggled to understand how such a marriage was even possible under a sentence meant to last a lifetime.
A Marriage That Sparked Nationwide Outrage
The two inmates were not only serving time for separate murder cases.
They had reportedly fallen in love inside prison and were even allowed to live together.
Recently, both were granted temporary leave to hold a formal wedding outside prison.
For many observers, this felt like a betrayal of justice.
Online critics described the couple as a match made in hell.
Others said the wedding poured salt into the wounds of the victims’ families.
Yet despite the outrage, the marriage was entirely legal under local regulations.
The explanation lies in Rajasthan’s unique prison system.
Rajasthan and India’s Open Prison System
Rajasthan is often cited as a model region for India’s open prison experiment.
It is frequently promoted internationally as a success story of trust based incarceration.
India’s open prison philosophy traces its roots to the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi believed that trust and responsibility could reform people more effectively than iron bars.
Over time, open prisons were established across India.
Nearly half of them are located in Rajasthan.
In these facilities, inmates may leave during the day.
They can visit family members, work outside, and earn income.
They are only required to return to prison in the evening.
Romantic relationships and even cohabitation are permitted under supervision.
This environment is where Seth and Prasad’s paths crossed.
The Groom’s Crime and a Brutal Family Murder
Before his transfer to the Sanganer Open Prison, Hanuman Prasad was serving time for an extremely violent crime.
In October 2017, a horrifying incident occurred in the city of Alwar.
A woman’s husband, three sons, and nephew were murdered in their own home.
Police investigations revealed that three men carried out the killings.
The attackers first drugged the victims with sleeping pills.
They then slit the throats of all five family members and stabbed the bodies repeatedly.
Further investigation uncovered a secret affair.
The married woman had been involved with Prasad after meeting him at a taekwondo competition.
When her family began to suspect the relationship, fear took over.
To prevent exposure, Prasad planned the murders.
With the woman’s assistance, he recruited two accomplices.
Together, they killed her husband and children.
Prasad was arrested soon after.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to Jaipur Central Jail.
The Bride’s Crime and a Deadly Extortion Plot
Priya Seth’s crime took place in 2018 and was equally disturbing.
At the time, she was living with her boyfriend, who worked as a model.
To help him repay debts, Seth devised a plan to extort money.
She met a wealthy young man through a dating app.
After weeks of flirtation, she lured him to her apartment.
Her accomplices were waiting inside.
The group kidnapped the victim and demanded a ransom of one million rupees.
The victim’s father transferred part of the ransom.
Soon after receiving the money, Seth panicked.
Fearing exposure, she and her accomplices strangled the victim to death.
The crime shocked local authorities.
Seth was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
She was also sent to Jaipur Central Jail.
Love Inside an Open Prison
Last year, both Seth and Prasad were transferred to the Sanganer Open Prison in Rajasthan.
The environment there was drastically different from a traditional prison.
Inmates moved freely during the day and interacted closely with others.
Seth and Prasad met under these circumstances.
Their relationship developed quickly.
After beginning their romance, both cut ties with former partners.
They focused entirely on their new relationship.
Within two months, the couple formally applied for cohabitation.
Approval was granted without major obstacles.
A Wedding Approved by the System
As their relationship deepened, the couple decided to marry.
In November of last year, they informed their families of their plans.
They applied for official leave to hold a wedding ceremony.
After review, prison authorities approved the request.
Wedding invitations were sent out in December.
From January 21 to January 23, the couple held their wedding at Prasad’s hometown.
Photos of the event soon surfaced online.
Public outrage followed almost immediately.
Public Reaction and Moral Questions
Social media exploded with criticism and disbelief.
Many questioned the meaning of a life sentence.
Some asked how murderers could enjoy love, marriage, and freedom.
Others mocked the situation as something that could only happen in India.
A few expressed concern for the victims’ families, whose pain was reopened.
Despite the anger, officials insisted that all procedures were followed legally.
The open prison system, they argued, prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment.
Whether society agrees with that philosophy remains deeply divided.
As one saying goes, people of the same kind often find their way to each other.
In this case, that old phrase has never felt more unsettling.
