Woman's kin booked for threatening her over inter-caste affair

A case has been registered against three relatives of a 19-year-old female law student, who had approached the Bombay High Court alleging threat to life due to her relationship with a man belonging to another caste, an official said on Friday.

The Talegaon MIDC police registered a case on Thursday, two days after the high court directed the police to look into the complaint of Priyanka Shete and take appropriate steps to ensure her safety.

According to the police, a case against her paternal uncle Dattatray Bandu Shete, and two cousins- Ravi Nivrutti Shete and Sampat Dnyaneshwar Shete- was registered under IPC sections 344 (wrongful confinement), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication).

 

Shete, a second year law student, had stated in her petition that while she belonged to the Maratha community, she was in love with her coursemate Viraj Awghade, who hailed from the Matang community, considered a "lower caste" in the state.

As per Shete's plea, the man was from a "poor family" and her parents were against the inter-caste relationship and were threatening her that if she continued meeting Awghade, they will "kill both of them".

Shete had alleged that her parents had been "torturing her" and in February this year, tired of such torture, she attempted suicide by consuming some medicines.

She was later admitted to Pavna hospital in Pune where, after necessary treatment, doctors referred the matter as a medico-legal case to the Talegaon police which did not take any action, her counsel had told the court.

In March this year, Shete's paternal uncle also threatened her by pointing a country-made pistol at her, the counsel had told the court and urged it to direct the police to ensure Shete's safety.

A vacation bench of Justices M S Karnik and R I Chagla directed the Talegaon MIDC police in Pune to look into Shete's complaint and take appropriate steps to ensure her safety.

"We have registered a case against her paternal uncle and two cousins and so far there are no arrests," a police officer, investigating the case, said.