Madurai: Even as a campaign is on in Tamil Nadu that inter-caste marriages were mainly the result of dalits “luring” girls from other castes, here is a case in which a Vanniyar boy married a girl belonging to the Kongu Vellalar caste being separated on the basis of caste hierarchy.
Unfortunately, the girl, who was pregnant, was forcibly made to undergo abortion by her parents, who lodged a complaint that the Vanniyar boy had forcibly kidnapped their daughter and lured her into marriage in the name of love. Rajasekhar (21) of Dharmapuri district fell in love with Jeevika (18) of the same district.
Though both were from the intermediate caste, the position of their respective castes in the social hierarchy made the girl’s parents say no to the marriage.
They married against the wishes of their parents in August 2012. Following this, Jeevika’s parents filed a complaint with the Pallipatti police station stating that their daughter was kidnapped by Rajasekhar, who was then working in a private company in Hosur. When the case came to court for hearing, the girl confessed that she was not kidnapped and preferred, on her own, not to stay at her parents place. Later, she moved to her husband’s village and stayed with him. In the meanwhile she got pregnant and her parents persuaded her to visit their place as is part of the tradition.
According to police sources, she was forcibly taken to Namakkal, where her grandparents stay and was kept under house arrest. Later she was forced to undergo abortion.
Later, based on a complaint by Rajasekhar, the Pallipatti police registered cases under Sections 366 (kidnapping), 312 (causing miscarriage) of the Indian Penal Code and rescued Jeevika, who will be produced in the court on Monday.
A top police officer from the district on Saturday said the police were on the lookout for her parents.
Girl’s parents forcibly aborted her child because of intercaste marriage.