Bhubaneswar, July 13 -- In a shocking incident highlighting the deep-rooted social stigma surrounding inter-caste marriages, a 25-year-old woman was allegedly denied her last rites by her parents in Odisha's Bolangir district after she had married outside her caste.The incident occurred on Sunday at Nehenabandh village under Jogimunda block, where the body of Bimala Dharua remained at her residence for several hours after her parents allegedly refused to perform her final rites because of her inter-caste marriage.

With the family unwilling to conduct the cremation, the body remained unattended until local social workers intervened. They later took responsibility for performing the woman's last rites, ensuring she received a dignified far...