Three persons were arrested today for forcing a man and his mother-in-law walk six kms after tonsuring their heads at Udayakulam near here alleging they had illicit relationship, a practice of punishment that existed in olden days, especially during Nayak rules in Tamil Nadu between 1529 AD and 1736 AD, police said.
Udaiyan(55), Arumugam (58) and Kannan (32) were arrested for dotting the face of Marimuthu and Kaliammal with black and white colours and forcing them to walk six kms after tonsuring their heads on the charge that they had illicit relationship, Police Inspector Pon Raghu said.
He said Kaliammal had an illicit relationship with Marimuthu, thus incurring the wrath of his wife's relatives, including Udaiyan, Arumugam and Kannan.
Despite several warnings from family members, they continued with the relationship. On the information that the two were together at a house, the three rushed to the house, "kidnapped" them to another place and detained them illegally for three days and tried to persuade them to separate, Ragu said.
As they did not agree, the three tonsured their heads, dotted their faces with black and white colours and made them to walk six kms infront of the public.
On a complaint from the local people, police arrested the three. Another person, who helped them to kidnap the two, was at large, police said.
