The police add that the family also burnt her body without informing the authorities about her death
Chennai: The husband of a 21-year-old woman who died under suspicious circumstances in Madurai has alleged that she was killed by her family to “protect their honour”. Vimala Devi, a resident of Budhipuram in Usilampatti, was found hanging in her parents’ home on Wednesday morning. In his complaint, Dilip Kumar, a Dalit youth, has alleged that his wife’s parents were unhappy with the inter-caste marriage and had forced her to get engaged to someone else.
The police have arrested Veerannan and Thenamma, the father and mother of Vimala Devi on charges of abetting suicide. Vimala Devi’s family has said that she committed suicide by hanging herself on Wednesday. The police add that the family also burnt her body without informing the authorities about her death. Dilip Kumar, a driver by profession, has alleged that Vimala was in fact set ablaze by her parents as she was refusing to marry someone of their choice.
“Initial enquiry suggests that it was case of suicide. The family was forcing the woman to marry another man, a relative. She was refusing to do it. Despite her resistance they had conducted the engagement. This seems to have led to her suicide,” police sources said here.
Vimala Devi, a caste Hindu, married Dilip Kumar on July 22 without informing her family. The two then left for Kerala. Her family had lodged a complaint with the police saying that Dilip Kumar kidnapped her. The family tracked the couple in three days and brought them back to Madurai. Since then the woman was under sort of ‘house arrest’ while Dilip Kumar had approached the court to get his wife back.
The Tamil Nadu Women’s Commission in Chennai will take up statewide campaign to prevent violent reactions to inter-caste marriages from families. The commission will particularly focus on honour killings and spread awareness that the perpetrators would be severely dealt with under law.
Commission chairperson Visalakshi Nedunchezhiyan (90) told Deccan Chronicle that her officials would also enlist the help of social activists, educationists and youth organisations to tackle the “terrible social evil, namely, honour-killing”, the most recent incident being the alleged torching of young bride Vimala Devi by her parents in Usilampatti, near Madurai, on Thursday.
“The case of Vimala, allegedly being murdered by her parents, is too shocking for words. This death shows that racism still prevails in our society despite all the rationalist preachings of our Dravidian leaders. Anyone resorting to honour killing must be severely punished. Parents fail to understand that a casteless society is the ultimate answer to all social conflicts and that can be achieved through inter-caste marriages,” said the chairperson, who also happens to be an AIADMK member.
Asked what her commission intended to do about Vimala’s death, she said, “All our staff are away for puja festival. We may get to meet on October 7 after these holidays.” She said the commission would soon hold rallies to educate people about the evil. “We will also ask the censor board to delete scenes in TV serials that portray women as villains.”
While acknowledging that “in this modern age”, parents should respect the choice made by their grown-up children, Visalakshmi added that young women should try to convince their parents rather than rebel against them. “I think Vimala should have taken steps to bring her parents around to allowing her to marry Dilip Kumar (her Dalit lover).”
Women rights activists complain that the commission has failed to intervene on serious issues like honour killing while it holds powers to take suo motu action. AIDWA (All India Democratic Women’s Association) leader in Madurai, Ponuthaye, said more than 30 honour killings were reported in the last two years and the commission has not taken any measures to the curb the practice.
Meanwhile Foul play suspected in woman’s death
Dilip Kumar is on the run even as he mourns the death of his wife Vimala Devi, who he insists was burnt alive by her parents because she married a Dalit. First he took shelter at the Marxist office at Mapalayam in Madurai but when things got hot even there, his friends shifted him to a ‘secret’ place to protect him from possible attack by in-laws. They allege that even the police are angry with him because their FIR claims that Vimala’s parents were arrested only for abetting her suicide.
“I cannot disclose to you where I am staying. It’s not safe. My wife and I were on the run after marriage but her family kept pursuing us. We hoped they would calm down and let us live in peace but that did not happen. I petitioned the police in Madurai and Dindigul but they took no action. On the other hand, the police took my wife away from me and handed her over to her family. Instead of protecting her, the police gave her to the executioners. And now, all of them are out to finish me off”, said the distraught husband.
The 22-year-old Dalit youth was working as driver at Vimala’s house when love blossomed between them. The girl belonged to a backward community (BC) and marrying a Dalit was absolute taboo; besides, he was a poor driver. After getting her back through police help, the family started arrangements to get her married to someone of their choice from their community. “When we met last week, Vimala was very upset about her family forcing her into a second marriage”, Dilip claimed.
He contested the police claim that Vimala committed suicide due to pressure from the family to remarry, “I am sure my wife died after being set on fire. Police are yet to show me the postmortem report”, he said.
