By A Subramani, TNN | Dec 6, 2012, 04.56 AM IST

CHENNAI: At a time when Tamil Nadu is gripped by debates on inter-caste marriages, a non-dalit girl who had married a dalit man against her family’s wishes has come knocking on the doors of the Madras high court saying she faced harassment by police and threats from her father.Kiruthika, hailing from Salem district, said in her petition she met D Vallal, a dalit, in college and fell in love. They were in love for about a year when her father came to know about the relationship. Meanwhile, Vallal completed his BBA course and joined a private company in Chennai as a sales executive. When her father kept her in confinement and made arrangements for marriage with someone else, Kiruthika fled her home and got married to Vallal on December 12, 2011. It was duly registered in Salem on December 19, 2011.

Kiruthika said her father Panneerselvam had disapproved of her marriage and even lodged a complaint with the all-woman police in Athur claiming that she was being harassed for dowry by Vallal and his father. She denied any harassment by her husband’s family and claimed that personnel from Yethapur and Ammapettai police stations harassed and threatened her. She wanted the court to direct the authorities not to harass her.

When the matter came up for hearing before Justice D Hariparanthaman, the special government pleader, however, denied any harassment from police and offered an undertaking that police would not interfere with Kiruthika or her husband.

Justice Hariparanthaman, recording the categorical undertaking by the government pleader, cited the Supreme Court rulings which noted that any form of harassment and threats issued to couples of inter-caste weddings a serious offence. Decrying brutal, feudal-minded persons perpetrating campaign against inter-caste marriages, the apex court had said such barbaric practice should be ruthlessly stamped out.

Noting that the judgment would squarely apply to Kiruthika’s case, the judge said no direction was required because the special government pleader had made a statement before the court that there would not be any interference by police in the married life of the young woman.