New Delhi: They fell in love and are now paying a price for that. A panchayat in Haryana has given death sentence to a married couple for tying the knot despite coming from different castes.

Manoj, a dalit hailing from Nooh village of Haryana, married Rimpy, a girl from the influential Saini community of the state at an Arya Samaj temple in Delhi on June 18 defying opposition from the girl's family.

The marriage raised the hackles of the elders in Nooh village, who issued a death fatwa of sorts on the couple.

Since then Manoj and Rimpy have been running for their lives and reached Hauz Khas police station in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"We are running for our lives. Sainis want us dead. Girl's father has been threatening to kill us," says Manoj's grandmother, Lakshmi.

The couple says they got their marriage registered in the Tis Hazari Court on the June 19 and sent a copy of the certificate to the Nooh police station. However, they claim police still filed a case of kidnapping against Manoj.

"They lodged a false FIR against Manoj on the 20th despite the papers having reached the police station on 19th," says Manoj’s friend.

The Delhi Police initially sent Manoj and Rimpy back to Nooh. But after women's rights activists intervened, they were called back to Delhi. The two are now under police protection.