Marriage hall owner booked under SC/ST Act for denying venue to a family in Perundurai

The police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against the owner of a marriage hall in Perundurai for allegedly refusing to rent out the venue to members of a Scheduled Caste community. 

On March 3, K. Rani and her family members from Koorapalayam village in Nasiyanur approached the hall owner near Anna Silai in Perundurai to book the venue for a wedding reception for her 23-year-old son on March 15. The hall owner, Ravi, reportedly refused to allow the event after learning that the family belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. They complained that he said he would neither provide the hall nor arrange food for members of the community.

Following this, Rani, along with members of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, lodged a complaint at the Perundurai police station.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the hall owner under Section 3(1)(zc) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The police said Ravi has been admitted to a hospital citing ill health. Further investigation is under way.