VELLORE: A tribal marriage was stopped as police arrested the tribal head who had to hand over the thali to the groom on charges of hooch, on Sunday. Sekar (alias Sankar) was the head of Ani tribal village in Anaicut taluk in the Vellore district.

He along with relatives went to nearby Oosur on July 5 to purchase the thali when he was nabbed by prohibition police at Sivanadapuram and taken to the Ariyur police station on charges of distilling and selling hooch.

When relatives heard of this, they requested his release stating that unless the village head handed over the thali to the groom the marriage would not take place.

They also suggested that another person be held in Sekar’s place for the duration of the marriage but the police remained unmoved. Hence the marriage was stopped much to the chagrin of the local tribal communities.