Tenkasi abduction case: Woman’s version not genuine, says Madras HC

Tells cops to keep woman in home away from ‘external influence’, record statement in 2 days

MADURAI: Disbelieving the version of the 22-year-old Gujarati woman, Kruthika Patel, on the mystery that shrouded her alleged abduction by her parents from Tenkasi on January 25, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Courtallam police to keep her in a home away from external influence and record her statement two days later.

The direction was given by a Bench of justices G Jayachandran and Sunder Mohan, before whom Kruthika was produced by the police on Tuesday afternoon following a habeas corpus petition filed by Mariappan Vineeth of Tenkasi, who claims to be her husband.

When the court heard Kruthika’s reply to Vineeth’s claims about the marriage and her abduction, the judges opined that her version ‘does not appear to be genuine’. Noting that she has been in the custody of her family, who were also suspects in the case, the judges ordered Kruthika be kept in a home for the time being, away from any external influence, with further directions to the police to take efforts to record her statement under Section 161 of CrPC and if necessary, under Section 164 of CrPC.

The case was adjourned to February 13. Meanwhile, Justice AD Jagadish Chandira adjourned for a week the bail petitions filed by eight persons. During the hearing, Kruthika reportedly stood by the statement she made in her two videos, which she had released after her alleged abduction, that she had left Tenkasi of her own free will and had been already married to Maitrik last year.