"My wife's family members are harassing my family members"
A newly married intercaste couple have made a desperate plea for police protection. They got married a few months prior to their appeal.
The couple has been identified as Arjun Prajapati and Sonal Desai. Both are from a village near the town of Thara in Banaskantha, Gujarat.
They were married in a court in Junagadh, however, they tied the knot against their families’ wishes as they are from different castes.
Arjun and Sonal uploaded a video in which they asked Thara Police Station sub-inspector MJ Chaudhary for protection.
In the video, Arjun has alleged that he and his family are being harassed by his wife’s relatives as a result of his caste. He also said that his community is being targeted.
He explained his ordeal despite the fact that he got married to Sonal legally.
Arjun said: “My wife’s family members are harassing my family members despite the fact that Sonal had come with me on her own.
“Even the police is not taking a complaint from my family.
“The people of the Prajapati community are also being harassed by Sonal’s community members often.”
Sonal made an appeal to her father telling him to stop harassing her husband’s family and stating that she wanted to marry Arjun.
She said:
“Father, I have come on my own will, so why are you harassing Arjun’s family?”
“We have married legally and Arjun’s family is not to be blamed.”
Arjun and Sonal are from the village of Itarva, 12 kilometres from Thara.
They have known each other since they were children and used to study at the same school.
As they grew older, they fell in love and later decided to get married.
However, Sonal’s family and other community members were against the marriage as Arjun was from a different caste. They objected the idea of intercaste marriage.
According to sub-inspector Chaudhary, Sonal’s parents have urged the police to got to Arjun’s home to bring back their daughter.
The Times of India reported that the police took note of the intercaste couple’s appeal and went to their house to produce evidence of their marriage.
Sub-inspector Chaudhary explained:
“On inquiry, the couple submitted evidence of them being adults and also produced a valid marriage certificate issued by a competent authority.
“We had tried to convince the girl’s community members opposing the marriage.”
“We have asked the couple to lodge a complaint if they find a risk to their lives.”
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