CUDDALORE: Two dikshithars, including the podhu dikshithar secretary of the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, were arrested and remanded in jail in connection with a child marriage case, after which dikshithars staged a protest in Chidambaram. They were arrested on Saturday and remanded in jail on Sunday.
A source from the Chidambaram All Women Police Station (AWPS) said that based on a complaint from the social welfare department, a case was filed under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act on Saturday. The case was against the bride’s father dikshithar secretary CSS Hemasabesa (42) and the groom’s father Vijayabalan alias Vengateswara Dikshithar (49).
“We inspected the hall where the wedding was allegedly held on January 25, 2021 and found the records for it. An investigation is on,” said a police official. The groom was allegedly about 15 years old at the time of the wedding, and the bride was 13, the official added.
A source from the social welfare department said they got a photo of the wedding and inquired about it. “After confirming the wedding, we lodged a complaint at the police station,” said the source. The accused dikshithars were remanded in the Branch Jail at Chidambaram for 15 days. In protest, nearly 100 dikshithars of Chidambaram Nataraja Temple and their families staged a protest on Saturday night.
“Such arrests are being made on purpose. Police are not following the proper procedure in these cases.
Earlier, two cases were registered at the Cuddalore AWPS and shifted to the Chidambaram AWPS. We will face them legally and justice will prevail,” a dikshithar said on condition of anonymity. Cuddalore SP S Sakthi Ganesan said, “We have even arranged events in schools to raise awareness on child marriage. This year, 20 child marriage cases have been filed in the district so far.”