Court allows girl to attend father’s funeral

18-year-old Vanniyar girl had eloped with Dalit boy on Oct. 8; Madras HC order follows petition by girl’s mother

An 18-year-old Vanniyar girl, who eloped with a Dalit boy, attended her father’s funeral on Sunday following a Madras High Court order.

The court has also ordered that counselling be provided for the girl.

Justice K.B.K. Vasuki passed the order, following a petition by the girl’s mother, at a special sitting at the Judge’s residence on Sunday.

On October 8, Priya alias Vishnupriya, an engineering student of Jagannathapura Chatram village, ran away with Ranjith. Following this, her father, Ravi, committed suicide.

The incident bore a striking resemblance to the one at Dharmapuri last year where the father of a girl who married a Dalit boy, ended his life. The youth Ilavarasan’s body was found by the side of a railway track in Dharmapuri on July 4.

In the present case, the girl’s mother, Manjula of Sholavaram, filed the petition, requesting Priya’s presence at her father’s funeral. Priya was brought from the Government Vigilance Home, Mylapore, on Sunday and produced before the Judge who enquired about her willingness to attend the funeral. After she said was willing to be present, and considering the situation as stated by the police, the family circumstances and an undertaking by the petitioner and her brother-in-law, the court said it would permit Priya to attend her father’s funeral.

The court said the girl should be brought back to the Home. After her return, the court stated, the police should arrange counselling for the girl at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital from October 14 to October 17 by the head of the department of psychiatry.

The Judge ordered Priya should be produced before the court on October 18 for passing appropriate final orders on the petition.