Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's allegations that the banned two-finger virginity test was done on minors in cases related to child marriage has been repudiated by Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu, calling the allegations baseless and contrary to the truth.
In an interview with the Times of India on May 4, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi made allegations that two priests of the Chidambaram Natrajar temple had been charged with false cases of child marriage by officials from the Social Welfare Department in an act of "vengeance."
The Governor also claimed that minors were taken to a hospital and subjected to two-finger virginity tests, with some attempting suicide afterwards. However, the Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu later issued a statement repudiating these accusations, declaring them to be without merit or truth.
According to the DGP, complaints of child marriage involving a priest's daughter and others were received in September 2022. After investigating the matter and collecting evidence, the police booked four cases under section 366 (a) (procuration of a minor girl) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 9 and 10 of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act. Eight men and three women were subsequently arrested. Two of the victims underwent medical tests, but they were not subjected to the two-finger tests.
It should be noted that between September and October of 2022, two priests of the Chidambaram Natrajar temple were arrested by the Chidambaram police following complaints of child marriage.
In response to the Governor’s comments on the issue, a police officer who accompanied the victims to the hospital for medical tests stated that two-finger tests were not performed on either of the two girls who were sent for medical inspection. 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 Governor's allegations prompted the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to issue a notice to Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, requesting an investigation into the matter. The commission has asked for an action taken report, along with relevant documents, before May 11.
The interview with the Times of India was not the first time the Governor has clashed with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. In the interview, he made several 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 the police did not file a complaint against protesters who attacked his convoy with stones and sticks while he was visiting Dharmapuram Adheenam. However, an FIR was registered by the Mayiladuthurai police sub-inspector Subasree on the same evening.
In conclusion, while the Governor of Tamil Nadu has made serious allegations regarding the two-finger virginity tests performed on minors in cases of child marriage, the DGP has refuted these claims as baseless and contrary to the truth. The situation has prompted the NCPCR to launch an investigation into the matter, and the findings of this investigation may shed further light on the situation.