TN Minister's daughter flees state to marry her lover

Chennai: Escaping her father's ministerial long arm, the daughter of Tamil Nadu minister and her lover sought safety in Karnataka for marrying against the minister's consent.

Jayakalyani , 24, whose father P Sekar Babu helms the state's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, sought protection from her father after she married Satish Kumar, 27, Indian Express reported. The day after her wedding on March 7 Jayakalyani admitted to being in relationship with Sathish for over six years. She said the marriage was consensual and they are adults too.

"I have done my MBBS and he has completed diploma and is taking care of a transport business. We walked out of the house as no one helped or supported us. We are now married. None of his family members or friends should be intimidated," she said.

She delineated her father's revenge on her choice of a life partner describing how he kept Sathish in illegal custody for two months.

This happened, according to her, last August after the couple went out together, and the police caught them. The man, his parents and friends were taken to custody after "my father registered false complaints against him", she said. She added, "We have all proofs". "He (Sekar Babu) is a minister in Tamil Nadu so no one is helping us. We have come to Karnataka to seek help from the Karnataka Police. We have a threat to our lives, we want safety for us and his family," she said. The couple got married at the Halaswamy Mutt in Hirehadagali in the Vijayanagar district of Karnataka.

"Though love marriages are not promoted by the mutt, after ascertaining the facts that Kalyani was being married off against her wish, we allowed them (Jayakalyani and Sathish) to get married (here)," Halaveerapajja Swamy of the mutt said.