The Madras High Court has directed the Superintendent of Police, Dharmapuri, to give meaningful protection to an inter-caste couple’s family which had been ex-communicated and was receiving continuous threats.
“This writ petition projects a sorry state of affairs in the State of Tamil Nadu and District of Dharmapuri, in particular, observed Justice K.K.Sasidharan in his order on a writ petition by a woman. It was open to the petitioner to return to her village and live along with her in-laws. The police should ensure that the woman lived peacefully without any threat or attack and was permitted to take water and use other common amenities without any problem. “The police protection should be meaningful.” The Judge ordered notice, returnable by August 19.
The present case appeared to be similar to the recent controversy relating to the marriage of Divya and Ilavarasan, belonging to the same Dharmapuri district. Ilavarasan’s body was found near a railway track at Dharmapuri on July 4.
The petitioner, S.Sudha of Veppamarathur, said she belonged to the Adi-Dravidar community. She and Gopal, a Vanniyar, fell in love with each other and got married in April 2010. Initially, the marriage was opposed by her husband’s parents. Thereafter the marriage was accepted by both the families who held a wedding reception in June 2010 at her husband’s house. The couple had a baby boy. After the violence in Dharmapuri district in November last year (following the death of Divya’s father), some people raised doubts about her caste. In June this year, some villagers threatened the couple to leave the village. This month, she made a representation to the Superintendent of Police, Dharmapuri, to take action against those who passed an order ex-communicating the family in a ‘kangaroo court.’ Now the family was residing outside her village. The threats continued.
The Government Pleader, S.T.S.Moorthy, submitted that pursuant to a complaint preferred by the petitioner, a case had been registered. According to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, police protection had been given to the petitioner’s house.
