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Chennai: A woman in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli was reportedly abducted by her family on Saturday, July 4, for marrying a Dalit man, with her kin assaulting her, hurling casteist slurs and giving death threats.

According to The Hindu, the woman was identified as 27-year-old M Chithiravalli. She was allegedly abducted on the Tiruchi-Dindigul national highway near Maravanur under Manapparai Police Station limits. A police team rescued her and subsequently arrested four people, including her elder brother, involved in the crime.

A resident of Mudukupatti, Chithiravalli married Ajith Kumar, 27, at a temple near Tiruchi in June. She belonged to the Most Backward Class (MBC) and Kumar belonged to the Scheduled Caste community.

Since her family strongly opposed the union due to the caste differences, both sides approached the Manapparai All Women Police Station. Chithiravalli was sent with Kumar and his parents following the enquiry. Relations between Kumar and Murugesan, the husband of Chithirivalli’s sister, worsened soon after.

Relations between families sour, leading to abduction

Murugesan, on July 1, filed a complaint claiming Kumar threatened him, following which the two were directed to appear at the police station for questioning. According to the report, Kumar, his mother and Chithiravalli arrived for the inquiry on Saturday and submitted a petition. Murugesan failed to appear.

The issue escalated when Kumar was returning with the two women from the police station in an autorickshaw. At around 1:40 pm, Murugesan, along with other accused, intercepted them in two cars on the National Highway and abducted Chithiravalli.

The police said the group attacked Kumar, abused him with casteist slurs and threatened to kill him, while forcibly taking Chithiravalli away.

Woman rescued from grandmother’s house

Police officials acted swiftly, tracing Chithiravalli to her grandmother’s house in Yagapuram. She was reportedly confined by her family and was rescued that same night. Police arrested four accused – including Murugesan, his brother P Prakash, M Malaisamy, Chithiravalli’s elder brother and N Amanullah, alias Mala. They have been remanded to judicial custody, while the cars used for abduction were seized.

Authorities have since registered a case based on Kumar’s complaint under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Chithiravalli’s family had allegedly been pressuring her to leave Kumar and had threatened her with serious consequences if she didn’t.