Tribal girl stripped, tonsured for marrying out of caste

THANE: In a shocking incident, a 19-year-old tribal girl was allegedly stripped and her head tonsured by her in-laws at a village here for marrying outside her caste, police said. The girl, in her complaint lodged with Padgha police station in Shahapur taluka of Thane district on Saturday, stated that on August 30, her in-laws stripped her, tonsured her head and also severely beat her up as they were against her marriage with their son Yogesh Patil. The victim mentioned in her complaint that she had got acquainted with Yogesh while working as a packer at a godown in Bhiwandi town of Thane district. Despite opposition from his family, the victim and the boy got married in May this year and were living at her parent’s house in Pali village of Dabhade in Bhiwandi taluka. On August 30, when the couple were on way back to the girl’s house, Yogesh’s family members forcibly took both of them to their home at Maide in Bhiwandi. They tied the couple at the entrance of their home and then allegedly stripped the girl and tonsured her head, according to the police complaint. The complaint also mentioned that one of Yogesh’s brother took their pictures on his mobile phone after they were “punished” and threatened them. Later, Maide village sarpanch Santosh Patil rescued the girl and the couple was taken to Padgha police station where it was decided that they will live separately. However, last night the girl filed a complaint against Yogesh’s family members. Padgha police said offences under sections 498(a) (cruelty), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 353, 504, 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and relevant sections of Prevention of Atrocities on SC and ST Act, 1989, have been registered against Yogesh, his parents Madhukar Patil and Malti Patil and his elder brother. No arrests have been made so far in the case, police added.   ——— SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA