The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu refuted allegations made by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi that the banned two-finger test or virginity test was done on minor girls, who were reportedly victims of child marriage. On May 4, in an interview to the Times of India, the Governor alleged that a case of child marriage was falsely lodged against two priests of the Chidambaram Natrajar temple out of “vengeance” by Social Welfare Department’s officials. He also alleged that the minors were forcibly taken to the hospital and made to undergo the two-finger virginity tests. “Some of them tried to commit suicide,” he added.
In a statement, DGP said the allegations that girls studying in 6th and 7th grades were forcefully brought to the hospital where they were subjected to two-finger virginity tests and some of them tried to die by suicide was baseless and contrary to the truth.
In September 2022, the police received complaints of child marriage of a priest’s daughter and other cases. “Police investigated the matter and collected evidence,” the DGP said. Based on the evidence, All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Chidambaram, booked 4 cases, under section 366 (a)(procuration of minor girl) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the 9th and 10th sections of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act. In these cases, 8 men and 3 women were arrested, the DGP's statement reads. As per the legal counsel's advice, two of the four victims underwent medical tests but they are not subjected to the two-finger tests, he further noted.
It is to be noted that between September and October of 2022, two Dikshitars - who are the priests of Chidambaram Natrajar temple - were arrested by Chidambaram police following complaints of child marriage. On May 5, after the Governor’s comments on the issue, TNM reached out to the AWPS in Chidambaram, a police officer who accompanied the victims to the hospital for medical tests said, “Two finger tests were not done. Doctors did not perform it on either of the two girls who were sent for medical inspection.” The official also said that one of the girls was sent to the Cuddalore government hospital while the other was sent to the Chidambaram government hospital following their parents’ arrest.
The Tamil Nadu police chief’s statement came after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a notice to Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu asking for an investigation into the Governor’s allegations. The commission has asked for an action taken report, with relevant documents before May 11.
RN Ravi has locked horns with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government many times, his interview with ToI is the latest. In the interview, he also made some strongly worded comments, including that the state followed a Dravidian Model ideology that only enforced linguistic apartheid and fostered separatist sentiments. He also alleged that police did not file a complaint against protesters who pelted stones and sticks at his convoy while he was visiting Dharmapuram Adheenam. Contrary to his claim, the Mayiladuthurai police sub-inspector Subasree had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on the attacks on the convoy at 6.30 pm the same evening.