A 19-year-old girl from Pune, who was allegedly tortured by her family for being in a relationship with a boy from the Scheduled Caste, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking protection, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday, 7 May.
"I have been in a relationship for three years, (my) family got to know about it and they tortured me, and threatened to kill us (the girl and her partner). I ran away from the house,” Priyanka Shete told ANI.
"...as I wasn't getting help from police either, I decided to approach court," she added.
Priyanka's lawyer, Nitin Satpute, said the court has given directions for police to provide protection to the couple as the girl’s uncle had threatened to kill her at gunpoint for having an affair with a boy from the oppressed caste.
"Priyanka was in a relationship with a boy from a Scheduled Caste and her family didn't approve of it. The Bombay High Court has given directions that she register her statements with police, and that police provide protection to the couple,” Satpute told ANI.
Satpute said after repeated death threats from her uncle, Priyanka left her house and ran off to Mumbai.
Priyanka was hospitalised after she tried to kill herself,” he said, adding that “police had recorded her statement (after she tried to kill herself) but no punitive action was taken.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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