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HRC probes arrest of husband accused of ‘abducting’ wife
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is investigating a case in Vavuniya, where a 27-year-old man who married a 19-year-old girl, was arrested by the Police and produced in court on ‘abduction’ charges.
The youth was arrested by the Vavuniya Police last Sunday, after he called over at the Police Station to lodge a complaint that he was abducted and assaulted by his wife’s relatives.
The man’s wife had lodged a complaint with the HRC that her husband had called over at the Police Station on 3 previous occasions to lodge a complaint, and was arrested on the fourth visit.
The wife claimed that the police said he was arrested on allegations that he was responsible for ‘abducting’ her.
However, the couple who were legally eligible to be married, had held their wedding in Pussellewa in November last year, and submitted their marriage certificate to the area police, to inform the Vavuniya police that they were legally married.
The girl’s father had lodged a complaint with the Vavuniya Police earlier, that his daughter had been abducted.
Four months later, after the couple had returned to Vavuniya, and visited her parents, the girl had been locked up in the house, while the boy had been blindfolded and taken to an unknown location.
The sister of the boy had lodged a complaint about his disappearance.
The wife has also complained to the HRC that she been forcibly taken by her father and relatives to undergo an abortion in Colombo, but due to her protests the person who was to carry out the abortion had refused to do so.
She had been later dropped off at the husband’s home in Vavuniya, while her husband, who had been abducted, had managed to escape and return home.
On Friday (15), Lawyers Anton Thuraisingham Jeyananthan and Arunagirinathan Dileepkanth, appearing on behalf of the man, had moved a motion that the charges filed against his client were false and that he was legally married.
He was released on bail by Additional District Judge and Magistrate Thaslin Banu, with two sureties of Rs 100,000 each. He was told to prove his residency in Vavuniya and produce himself at the Police Station every last Sunday of the month.
Meanwhile the HRC office in Vavuniya has sought a copy of the ‘B’ Report filed in court by the Police.
A senior officer of the Vavuniya police said they were acting on the complaint made by the girl’s father regarding the abduction.