Couple face boycott over intercaste marriage in Karnataka

The leaders of Kunagalli in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district have allegedly punished a couple, who married five years ago, after learning about their inter-caste marriage. They have also penalised them with a fine of Rs 6 lakh and subjected their family members to a social boycott.

The couple lodged a complaint in this regard at the DySP’s office in Kollegal on March 1 seeking protection.

According to the complaint, Govindaraju from the Uppar Shetty community of Kunagalli was in love with Shwetha from an SC community of Hoovinakoppalu of Malavalli taluk in Mandya district. They married at the Malavalli sub-registrar’s office on September 19, 2018. The couple resided in Malavalli and often visited Kunagalli. Last month, when they visited the village, the neighbours who learnt about the caste of Shwetha reportedly informed about it to the leaders of the village.

On February 23, at the panchayat, the village leaders allegedly penalised the couple and Govindraju’s parents Venkatesh Shetty and Sangamma, with a fine of Rs 3 lakh and had fixed the deadline of March 1 to pay the amount.

Since they lodged the complaint, the village leaders have allegedly increased the penalty amount to Rs 6 lakh. They have even subjected the family to a social boycott, by asking the villagers not to talk to them. The family has been asked not to buy rations, vegetables or milk in the shops or even fetch water from public water facilities. The couple have named 12 people in their complaint.