In a surprise development, film director Cheran’s daughter Dhamini on Wednesday expressed her desire to go with her parents.
Following this, the Madras High Court, which was dealing with a habeas corpus petition (HCP), ordered that she, being a major, would be at liberty to go as per her wish. After the court proceedings, Cheran prostrated on the premises in a gesture of thanks to the judiciary.
On August 5, Dhamini told the court that she would like to go with her boyfriend Chandru’s mother. The proceedings before a Division Bench comprising Justices V.Dhanapalan and C.T.Selvam began after Chandru’s mother Easwari Ammal of Choolaimedu here said her son and Dhamini, aged about 20, who was studying in a college here, loved each other. The petitioner prayed to the court for a direction to the police to produce the girl before the court and set her at liberty. The director seriously objected to sending her daughter with Ms.Easwari Ammal.
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Initially, Dhamini was in the custody of Vigilance Home, Mylapore here. On court orders, she stayed at the residence of a senior counsel at Kilpauk for a day. She was, later, directed to stay with the Headmistress and Correspondent of Shrine Velankanni Higher Secondary School, T.Nagar, where she had studied, until further orders.
The Bench had posted the matter for Wednesday. It had also ordered that all parties, including Dhamini, be present before the court.
When the petition came up, the Bench enquired with the girl. Later, it said that she desired to go with her parents.
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R.Sankarasubbu, petitioner’s counsel, filed an affidavit stating that the girl had been pressured to accept her father’s advice.
He alleged that she had been tutored to make the statement. To ascertain the truth, she may be examined by a team of doctors, counsel said.
Later, the court passed the order.