TN: Village panchayat councillor booked for 'breaking promise to marry' girl who killed self 

VILLUPURAM: A day after an 18-year-old died by suicide, her relatives staged a protest in Valavanur, alleging that the girl took the extreme step after the panchayat councillor, who she was allegedly in a  relationship with, refused to marry her.

A source from Valavanur police station said the victim, *Riya (name changed), was an undergraduate student of nursing at a private college in Choolaimedu, Chennai, and resided in the college hostel. On September 1, she ingested poison and died on Thursday, despite medical treatment. Following a postmortem examination, her body was brought to Valavanur for final rites on Thursday night.

At that time, over 100 relatives gathered at Valavanur junction, and blockaded the Puducherry to Villupuram road. They alleged that the panchayat councillor of Ward 11, Kandan, was involved with *Riya and had promised to marry her, despite already being married and with children. *Riya's relatives claimed that she killed herself after Kandan refused to marry her. They demanded Kandan's immediate arrest, prompting the intervention of Villupuram's Superintendent of Police G Shashank Sai.

After SP Sai's assurances, the protesters cleared the road, which had been obstructed for more than two hours. Meanwhile, a case was filed against Kandan on Friday, with another case filed in Choolaimedu. Simultaneously, Kandan allegedly ingested pesticide and was admitted to the Government Villupuram Medical College Hospital for treatment, said police sources.

Police are awaiting his discharge for further investigation. SP Shashank Sai said, "Based on a complaint from the girl's parents, Kandan has been booked under IPC section 354 (Assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty)."

(In case of distress, please call state helpline at 104, or Sneha suicide prevention helpline at 044-24640050)

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