On Thursday, almost a year after his marriage with Divya, a crestfallen Dalit youth I. Ilavrasan left the corridors of the Madras High Court, hoping against hope that his wife would join him one day.
The court allowed Ms Divya to stay with her mother as per her wish following a habeas corpus petition.
“We led a happy life. Divya is happier with me than with her family as I made every effort to keep her happy. Today we are victims of a political conspiracy,” Mr Ilavarasan told The Hindu .
The Dalit youth from Dharmapuri district did not believe that his wife had deliberately left him to live with her family. “Her mind has been spoiled. She and her mother are under the custody of a political party. She has left me now to ensure that no harm happens to her family,” he said.
Nineteen year-old Mr Ilavarsan had been selected for police department and waiting for his appointment when he got married to Ms Divya.
“I never put any conditions on her. I allowed her to speak to her mother regularly. She never wanted to leave me,” he said.
Mr Ilavarasan said Ms Divya was keen on visiting her mother after she was informed that her mother was not well. “She asked my permission. I told her to wait. But she left my house when I was not around,” he said.
Mr Ilavarsan said Ms Divya believed that she would one day reunite with her family. “Even now, her concern was how to protect the interest of her mother and her brother. Her mother was also not interested in separating us. But, she is under pressure to file a petition in the High Court,” he complained.
Mr Ilavarasan said if he was given an opportunity to talk to her in the court, she would have changed her mind and agreed to live with him.
