Gokul Vannan By

MADURAI :The row over the elopement of a caste Hindu girl with a dalit youth at Usilampatti took a new twist with the girl being sent with her parents.

Social activists are furious over the development and accused that the police had separated the couple instead of uniting them. Members of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) said that the cops took the youth and the girl to separate police stations and thereafter allowed the girl to go with her parents.

However, the police claimed that they handed over the girl to her parents as per wishes.

A Caste Hindu father P Veerannan from Chamber near Usilampatti attempted suicide last Wednesday when he learnt that his daughter Vimala Devi (20) eloped with a Dalit youth B Dilip (27) of Polipatti. He later filed a kidnap complaint against Dilip with the Usilampatti police. In the meantime, the duo was spotted in Pollachi and was brought to Usilampatti DSP’s office on Friday.

“When we learnt that the couple have been traced, we contacted SP Vijayendra S Bidari and reminded him of Divya-Ilavarasan episode and requested him not to take them to Usilampatti. We insisted him to talk to the couple and their parents at his office,” claimed K Samuel Raj, general secretary of TNUEF. Instead, the police brought the couple to Usilampatti DSP office giving an opportunity for the caste Hindu outfits.

“When cops took the couple to JM court located close to the DSP office, caste Hindu outfits prevented cops police from producing them. The police yielded to their pressure and brought them back to DSP office,” claimed ST Chellakannu, district secretary of TNUEF.

“However we were shocked to learn that the police have separated the couple and took them to two different police stations. While Dilip was sent to Sholavandan police station, they took Devi to Samayanallur police station,” said Chellakannu.

“Though Devi expressed her wishes to live with Dilip, cops allowed her relatives to convince her on returning to her family,” he claimed.

On Saturday morning, the police produced only Devi in the Usilampatti court and sent her with her family members. The police also called Dilip’s family members separately to Sholavandan police station and handed over him to them.

However Madurai SP Vijayendra S Bidari said that Devi’s parent has filed a kidnapping complaint. “When we produced Devi in the court, she expressed the wish to go with her parents before the magistrate. We did not violate the rules,” he said.