In a first, since the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality on September 6, 2018, a lesbian couple got married legally on Saturday at Kendrapara in Odisha. But the father of one of the brides said it was all a big conspiracy and a lot of black magic. He lodged a complaint with the Pattamundai Police Station on Monday alleging that his daughter is innocent and is under a spell of black magic.
Sabitri Parida, the 26-year-old daughter of Pravakar Parida of Tantiapali village under Rajnagar police station, married 27-year-old Monalisa Nayak, daughter of Antrajami Nayak of Srirampur village under Pattamundai police station before a notary magistrate. “The other girl has done black magic on my daughter when she was at her uncle’s house,” Antrajami alleged after he lodged the complaint with the police.
Police have said that the couple will be interrogated in connection with the matter, reported Odisha TV. “The girl will be interrogated to ascertain whether she has been forced to maintain the relationship with the other girl or it was her own choice,” Pramod Mallick, IIC of Pattamundai Police Station, said.
Both the girls work in a private firm at Cuttack and were in a relationship for more than four years. They claimed in the affidavit that they are in love with each other and have taken the decision to get married on their own. “We are the first couple of same sex to get married under the new law. We wanted to prove to the society that there was nothing wrong in living with a partner of the same sex. Both of us had rejoiced at the scrapping of Section 377 by the Supreme Court on September 6 last year,” said the couple.
They said their parents did not approve the relationship and asked them to separate. But they continued the relationship as they felt happy and comfortable in each other’s company and got legally married. They termed their marriage as a great victory for the LGBT community. “Our marriage will be a victory against the stigma and humiliation that our community has been facing across the country,” they said.
The newly married couple said they are planning to adopt a child as per the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956. When contacted, the parents and relatives of both the girls refused to comment anything on the marriage.
