Protect Dalit woman, Dharmapuri SP told

The Madras High Court has directed the Dharmapuri district Superintendent of Police to provide protection to Dalit woman S Sudha, who married an upper-caste man and thereby earned the wrath of the villagers and was ex-communicated.

This writ petition projected a sorry state-of-affairs prevailing in the State in general and more  particularly in Dharmapuri, Justice KK Sasidharan observed on July 26. In a matter of this nature, the court had to strike a balance between the right of the petitioner to live in the village and the need to preserve the peace and tranquility in the area, the judge added.

It was open to Sudha to enter her village and live along with her in-laws. The police should ensure that she lived peacefully without any threat or attack by 21 persons named in her affidavit, or their men.

The police protection must be meaningful and they should ensure that the petitioner was permitted to take water and use other common amenities without any problem, the judge said while passing interim orders on a writ petition from Sudha. The judge also issued notices to the 21 persons, returnable by August 19.