The Hindu : Bride calls off marriage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 05, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Bride calls off marriage

By K. Manikandan

Vidya, who called off her marriage a couple of hours before the knot was tied, protesting alleged harassment by the bridegroom's parents in Chennai on Wednesday. To her left is her father, Balasubramanian. — Photo: K. Gajendran

CHENNAI JUNE 4. A city girl today preferred to take a long walk to the All-Women Police Station in Ashok Nagar here to taking the seven steps around the holy fire.

It was a tough decision for 23-year-old Vidya, but a couple of hours before the knot was to be tied, she walked out of the marriage hall unable to bear insults heaped on her parents by her in-laws-to-be over alleged dowry demands.

B. Vidya, daughter of Balasubramanian, a retired Airman and resident of Mahadeven Street, West Mambalam, was to get married to Balaji, son of Kannan of the Postal Colony, at 9 a.m. But she called off the marriage, as she was unable to tolerate her parents being ill-treated by her in-laws-to-be, who sought more dowry at the eleventh hour. The incident was reminiscent of the Delhi case of Nisha Sharma walking out of the marriage hall for alleged dowry harassment.

In her complaint, Ms. Vidya alleged that during the engagement on February 12, the groom's parents made a demand for 10 sovereigns of jewels and 1.5 kg of silver articles, to which her parents agreed.

But late last night, they demanded another large amount of jewellery, utensils and cash.

When Ms. Vidya's parents expressed their inability to increase the dowry, the groom's parents reportedly told them that the marriage would not go on. Desperate pleas by her parents and relatives had no effect, she said, adding her father even fell at the feet of Mr. Balaji's father. ``One of the boys' relatives rushed menacingly towards my father to attack him,'' she said. Ms.Vidya then decided to call off the marriage.

Ganesh, her elder brother and Non-Commissioned Officer with the IAF, said the grooms' parents demanded 16.5 sovereigns of jewellery, utensils and charges for stitching clothes for the entire family. "This was in addition to the jewels and cash we already gave,'' he said. Moreover, Rs. 3 lakhs had been spent on wedding arrangements.

The investigating officer and inspector, AWPS, T.Pushpam, said the complaint was prima facie genuine. Cases were registered under Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, read with Section 506 (2) of the IPC, he said.

Balaji, his father, Kannan, and mother, Bhanumathi, were produced before the 17th Metropolitan Magistrate at Saidapet.

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