A HINDOO BIGAMY CASE.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1358, 28 November 1884, Page 2

A HINDOO BIGAMY CASE.

-- European law add native caitom do not always work well together, »■ a bigamy case re ently tried m Bombay shows. The culprit, Abai, wat married several years back to the prosecutor, Bapoo Some three years ag.>, however, he took another wife, wbioh was a perfectly legal proceeding. r ' AT»i 'saf s "tElt after this she was neglected; th*t her husband did not provide for her as he used to do, and that sh* was left without food for four dayi together. Accordingly she ran away from him to Bombay. rhere a with the consent of her caste, tb* washerman caste— of. which, the evidence a washerwoman i*e4ms.i to be itmccadum, or chicf — she m^r**ried again, while her husband ffii living. She evidently did not think she was. doing wrong. But^ th% High Cjurfc some time ago' deeldeof* tnat the consent of the caste ii not t 5 enough. So m jaw tbe> unluck j woman was guilty. The deoisioa which bonnd the Judge was inteaa ded to raise even these low castes, . who knew nothing of Brahminical la w; to the level of the higher caites, who follow the laws of Manu, and hold the marriage tie sacred and in* dissoluble for the : woman, "Th« Judge gave the lightest sentence tlwß ? law allowedr-^ene month's simple imprisonment. Here, however, foljlowed the most remarkable fett»r# |n the whole case. Abai asked wh»t stie was to do w,ith the younjfi.chiid when she was m prison. Che prose* cufcor — that is/the Mrat huSbknd— was called and tdJd that he A Wottli - henceforth haive' IS support ibii child 'as well as ; the woman* * Tjn«, he urged, he could not do,, f* She has remarried, and the caste will not. allow me to have anything . t*> i: do with her now. She is lost to me:" The Judge took care to dieabuse his mind on this point. " The jury. have, found her guilty, and ill* result of that decision is that ? the is 'still your wife, and you wilt h*T« to maintain her." : • ■ ;:1 ■-- '■*