MP Family Forces Woman To Undergo 'Purification' Ritual For Marrying Dalit

Madhya Pradesh became another state reporting an incident of caste discrimination that camouflages in various parts of India. A family of a 24-year-old woman forced her to undergo a 'purification' ritual for marrying a man from the Dalit community.

The young girl, belonging to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community, was asked to take dips in the Narmada, chop off her hair as a part of the process.

The incident took place in August in Betul district; however, it came to light after the couple complained against her family for forcing her to marry a person from the same community.

According to the Hindustan Times report, the woman had secretly married the 27-year-old man last year, on March 11, but the family came to know at the end of the year, in December, after the duo started living together. The woman was pursuing her studies in a nursing college in the district.

In January this year, the woman's father filed a missing complaint with the police, following which, in March, she was shifted to a hostel. A few months later, the family took her to the Sethani ghat of Narmada and conducted the ritual to get her married to a man from their community.

Later, in October, the woman filed a complaint against the family, alleging that they threatened the duo of dire consequences. A case was registered against four members, including the parents and relatives, under sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and section 322 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

The couple also requested police protection, after which a local outpost was directed to take cognisance. So far, no one has been arrested, as the investigation into the is underway.

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