VELLORE: A 47-year-old man and his son were arrested for assaulting a youth who refused to marry a 17-year-old girl near Kurilapatti on Monday.
Police sources said S Kumar (27), a native of Vellakuttai near Vaniyambadi, was working as a powerloom operator in a textile company at Thiruchengodu for the past seven years. A month ago, when Kumar visited Vellakuttai, M Annadurai (47) of the same village arrived at his house and offered his daughter to Kumar in marriage. Kumar did not respond to the proposal.
On Friday, when he reached his village for a three-day weekend on the eve of Vinayaka Chaturthi, he realised that his mother had already made arrangements for the marriage. She also convinced Kumar for the engagement on Saturday and the marriage was scheduled on Sunday.
During his engagement on Saturday in Sakthipuram Muthumariyamman Koil, Kumar found out that the bride was a 17-year-old Class XII student and refused to tie the knot. He quarrelled with his mother for finding a minor girl. Despite several attempts from family members to persuade him, Kumar refused to stay and attempted to leave the temple.
Infuriated by this, Annadurai, his son A Pandiyan (26) and relatives R Vellayangiri (37) and S Prabhu (35) picked up a quarrel with Kumar. As he refused to reconsider the decision, they allegedly assulted him with logs and rocks. He was admitted at Ambur Government Hospital and later shifted to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital.
Alangayam Police have registered a case for rioting, causing injury using weapons and issuing life threats under various provisions of the IPC. Annadurai and Pandiyan were arrested and remanded in judicial custody, while the remaining two are absconding.