A Dalit man was allegedly killed by his in-laws for marrying an upper-caste woman in Uttarakhand's Almora district, an official said on Friday.

Jagdish Chandra, a Dalit political activist from Panuadhokhan village, was found dead in a car in Bhikiasain town on Friday, Salt sub-division tehsildar Nisha Rani said.

His wife's mother, her step-father and her step-brother were caught while taking the body in the car to dispose of it, she said, adding they were immediately placed under arrest.

The couple had got married on August 21 and Chandra was abducted by his in-laws on Thursday, Rani said.

On August 27, the couple wrote to the administration seeking security, citing a threat to their lives, Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader P C Tiwari said.

He said the victim had contested elections from the Salt assembly seat twice on the party's symbol.

Tiwari said had the administration acted on the couple's complaint, Chandra could have been saved.

Calling the murder a matter of shame for Uttarakhand, he demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim's wife.