HC asks police to counsel parents not to threaten daughter, her husband for marrying against wishes

New Delhi, November 25

The Delhi High Court has asked the police to counsel the parents of a 20-year-old woman, who willingly left her house and married a man of her choice, not to threaten the couple or take law into hands.

The high court said the woman, being a major, was free to reside wherever and with whoever she wishes.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar directed that the woman be permitted to reside with the man and asked the police to escort her to his residence.

“...(the woman) is free to reside wherever she wishes and with whoever she wishes, she being a major. We, therefore, direct that the woman may be permitted to reside with respondent no.3 (man). We direct the police authorities to escort her to the residence of the man,” the bench said.

It asked the police to counsel the woman's sister and parents "not to take law into their hands or threaten” either the man or the woman.

It said the mobile number of an official of the concerned police station, where she would reside with her husband, should be provided to them so that they may get in touch with police officials in case of need.

The court passed the order on a habeas corpus petition by the woman's sister seeking her production.

A habeas corpus petition is filed seeking direction to produce before the court a person who is missing or illegally detained.

The plea said the woman went missing on September 12 and the family suspected the man behind it.

The woman was later traced and produced before the high court through video conferencing.

During an interaction with the judges, the woman said she had gone with the man of her own free will and that she has married him.

The high court noted that as per the police status report, the woman was born in 2000 and even on the date when she went missing, she was a major. PTI