Madhya Pradesh: Woman forced to undergo ‘purification’ ritual in Narmada river for marrying Dalit

In a shocking incident in Madhya Pradesh, a 24-year-old woman was allegedly forced to take a dip in the Narmada river and cut her hair during a ‘purification’ ritual by her family because she married a Dalit in Betul district.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the incident happened in August but came to light after the couple filed a complaint and sought police protection as the woman’s family was forcing her to marry a man from the same community, said Simala Prasad, superintendent of police, Betul.

A case was registered by the police against four members of the woman’s family, including her parents, on charges of voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation. No arrests have been made so far.

The woman in her complaint said that she belongs to an Other Backward Class (OBC) and secretly married a 27-year-old man belonging to the Scheduled Caste community on March 11, 2020. Her family came to know about the marriage in December 2020 after she started living with the man, she said in her complaint.

On January 10 this year, the father of the woman filed a missing person report. Police found her and took her back to her parents, according to the complaint. In March, the woman, who was studying in a nursing college in Betul, was shifted to hostel. In August, her family took her to Sethani ghat of Narmada river for a purification ritual, she said.

“We are investigating the matter and trying to verify the claims of the woman,” police superintendent Simala Prasad said. “The in-charge of the local outpost of the village has been asked to ensure safety of the couple.”

Courtesy : free press journal

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