Girl forced to marry by parents found dead in Salem

COIMBATORE: A 17-year-old girl, who refused to marry as sought by her parents, was found dead at her house in Salem on Monday.

Police are probing if she committed suicide or was murdered for refusing to get married. Upset over her denial for marriage, the girl’s mother Shyamala (36) also consumed poisonous ‘arali’ seeds (nerium oleander) and have been hospitalised in critical condition.

Police said the parents have forced their daughter Sri Devi for marriage after a 22-year-old youth from the same neighbourhood, recently took the girl, who had studied up to Class 8 to get married.

Karipatti police booked the accused A Sampath under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) based on a complaint by the girl’s father Arivalagan, a daily wager from Ayodyapattinam.

As the family members planned to get her married to a person of their choice, the girl stoutly refused the proposal. Upset over the developments, the girl’s mother consumed poison on Saturday midnight and was taken to a private hospital in Minnampalli.

Police said Arivalagan and his younger daughter were in the hospital, while Sri Devi was alone at home. On Monday, at 7 am, Arivalagan came home and was shocked to find his daughter dead.

After an inquiry, police took the body of the deceased for a post-mortem to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital by an ambulance, when villagers besieged the vehicle in protest to know the exact cause of her death. They however withdrew the protest after police promised action based on the post-mortem report.

Further enquiries are on.