Dalit MLA A Prabhu recently married a priest’s daughter Soundarya, sparking an argument in Tamil Nadu (File)
Chennai:
Dismissing kidnapping allegations in a habeus corpus petition filed by her father, Madras High Court today allowed a 19-year-old woman to accompany her husband, a 35-year-old AIADMK lawmaker, A Prabhu , whose marriage to the teenager earlier this week created controversy.
Soundarya, the daughter of a Brahmin priest Swaminathan, appeared in the High Court today. She was allowed to speak to her father, after which she told the judges that she wanted to go with her husband. She also denied the allegations that she was kidnapped.
Over the past few days, the couple have posted videos saying they were both adults, had fallen in love in recent months and their marriage was consensual.
According to Soundarya, his family had known Mr Prabhu for more than a decade and always welcomed him into their home until their wedding on Monday. Mr Swaminathan allegedly rejected Mr Pabhu and his family when they asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage earlier.
Mr Swaminathan had called the relationship a “breach of trust” and accused the MP of having formed a relationship with his daughter while she was still underage and of having tricked her. “Prabhu was in love with my daughter for four years, even when she was a minor. She was under his control,” he told court today.
He had said earlier that he was opposed to marriage “not because of caste, (but) because of age difference”, but had not mentioned it in court.
Speaking to GalacticGaming earlier, Mr Prabhu said he hoped the relationship with his new in-laws would improve soon.
“Until 30 years old I was busy with politics … during the lockdown I had a close interaction with her (his wife) and we fell in love … I have known my wife’s father since then. for many years and we had a close bond. even fed me with his own hands and prayed for my success. I feel that certain political forces have poisoned his mind against me, ”he said.
Asked about the impact of an inter-caste marriage on his political career, the MP said: “Politics is public life and marriage is my personal life. I don’t think I am mixing the two.”
