On Sunday, 27-year-old Kalaiselvi, a resident of Salem, was allegedly set on fire by her husband and in-laws after being forced to endure constant domestic abuse. The mother of a two-year-old son sustained 90% burn injuries and is now fighting for her life at the Salem government hospital. Her husband Jeeva has been arrested following the incident but the victim’s parents in a petition to the District Collector have alleged that police inaction led to their daughter’s condition.
In the petition, dropped off at the Collector’s office on April 29, Kalaiselvi’s mother Indrani explains that the couple got married 2.5 years ago and the harassment for dowry began from day one. Indrani says her family approached the local police twice to file a complaint of dowry harassment but officials instead turned away the couple after counselling them. No complaint was filed, the couple was sent back home and Kalaiselvi faced more physical abuse. The family says they gave the groom five sovereigns of gold but even this, according to the mother, did not stop the abuse. And going to the police had apparently proven futile.
“We went and complained in the Ammapettai All Women Police Station but there too they counselled them and sent them back,” says Indrani, recounting the third time the police were asked to interfere. “The abuse continued and yesterday at around 10 pm, Jeeva called us and said Kalaiselvi had immolated herself and was admitted in the Salem government hospital. We immediately went and saw that she was very critical. Jeeva and his mother, sister and brother have continuously tortured my daughter. We demand stringent action against the family,” she adds.
Kalaiselvi’s elder brother Mani further alleges that his sister was set on fire by her husband and his family.
“When we asked her in the hospital, she said very clearly that they poured fuel over her and burnt her. We refuse to believe that she did this to herself,” he tells TNM. He also points out that multiple efforts to ensure police action had failed. “When we went to the Ammapettai station in November, the inspector who was present then came and counselled the couple and left. If they had bothered to file a complaint and taken some action, the family would have learnt a lesson. Now, I have to watch my sister die in front of my eyes,” he adds.
ACP Anandakumar, who is supervising the case, says that police are looking through records in local stations to confirm if the victim had approached them with a complaint.
“We have arrested and booked Jeeva for dowry harassment and domestic abuse,” he states. “We are checking if the victim came to give any complaints,” he adds.
Salem Collector Rohini R Bhajibhakare is meanwhile personally looking into the case following the petition and makes it very clear that it is not the police’s duty to counsel couples.
“The police should not unnecessarily get involved in matters of compromise especially when the woman is facing domestic abuse or mental harassment. The best course of action is to follow the law. They should register and FIR and begin investigation,” the Collector says, adding, “If someone wants to strike a compromise, they can approach district social welfare workers and not the police. We even have a one-stop crisis centre for women who are facing any kind of harassment. If they need shelter and protection, they can come there, they need not feel helpless.”