

THANJAVUR: An inter-caste couple from Dharmapurai approached the Kumbakonam police on Sunday, seeking protection.
The couple alleged that they were facing threats from the parents of 23-year-old M Selvi, hailing from a village near Pennagaram, as she is a caste Hindu while the man she married, Arulmani, also 23, is a Dalit.
Arulmani, who had moved to Andhra Pradesh to work returned after Selvi's parents started looking for a groom once she informed her parents about their relationship.
On August 24, Arulmani and Selvi came to Kumbakonam got married the next day with the help of a lawyer.
Meanwhile, Selvi's parents lodged a missing person’s complaint in Pennagaram.
Selvi contacted the Pennagaram police and informed them that she had married Arulmani and that the couple feared for their lives if they returned to their village.
On Sunday, the couple went to the Kumbakonam West police station, with lawyers, and sought protection.
Selvi's parents too were present along with Pennagaram police personnel who asked her to return with them, but she refused and gave a statement to this effect.