Hardly a week after Justice CS Karnan of the Madras High Court ruled that any couple who sleeps together is considered married, the law took a curious turn on Saturday with the judiciary and the police in Tamil Nadu finding themselves in an unenviable position.
S Thangaraj (31), a judicial magistrate in the fast track court in Coonoor was arrested by Tirupur Police on Saturday for dumping a woman police inspector attached to the Palladam Police Station in the district after a two year long live-in relationship.
The incident has all the features mentioned by Justice Karnan in his controversial judgement which ruled that live-in relation is equivalent to marriage. He had also ruled that mandatory rituals and customs stipulated for marriages are irrelevant. The case also justifies the allegation made by PMK leader S Ramdoss that Dalit youth woo girls from intermediate communities and throw them out after brief courtships.
Thangaraj, the magistrate from Dalit community, and Uma Maheswari, the inspector had a live-in relation for the past two years. Uma Maheswari in her complaint to the police had charged that Thangaraj had promised that he would marry her soon.
The Dalit youth who had a degree in law was not financially sound as he was out of job. Uma helped him financially during the period. Once he got selected as magistrate, Thangaraj had second thoughts about the relation and eased her out of his life.
On June 20, he married Rajeswari, a much younger girl belonging to his community and Uma, the daughter of a daily worker, was left in the lurch.
Though she approached the police with a complaint, friends of Thangaraj turned out in big numbers threatening her. “I have been provided with police security on a round-the clock basis. His friends are pressing me to withdraw the complaint,” she told The Pioneer.
Since the accused belonged to the judiciary cadre, the police made sure that they got the necessary clearance from the court officials. A team of police officials led by Suresh Kumar, deputy superintendent of police, arrested Thangaraj on Saturday from a location where he was hiding and was produced before the district judicial magistrate, Tirupur. A case has been registered against Thanjaraj under IPC 376 (rape), 417 (cheating), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Though Thangaraj was remanded to judicial custody, the new bridegroom complained of chest pain to avoid a sojourn in the prison and that too during his honeymoon days. However, a medical check up in the district general hospital found that the puthu mappilai is healthy and hearty. Thangaraj was sent to Coimbatore Central Prison until July 12.