Bombay High Court reunites inter-faith couple separated by woman’s family

Mumbai, January 19: An inter-faith couple, forced to part ways by the woman’s family, was reunited by Bombay High Court on Tuesday. The high court said that the woman had a right to marry the man she wanted as she was a major and her family or court cannot restrict her freedom.

The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by an MBA student who was seeking production of the 23-year-old woman. The MBA student told the court that he wanted to spend his life with the woman but her parents were curtailing her freedom, India Today reported.

The division bench of Justice SS Shinde and Justice Manish Pitale observed that the woman is major and neither the court nor her parents can curtail her freedom.

Advocate AN Kazi was informed that his client and the woman had been in a relationship for five years and were planning to get married after he completed his MBA course. However, the parents of the woman were against the relationship as both were from different religions. On December 16, when his client had approached the police seeking their help to be together, the parents forcefully took her away and did not allow her to have any contact with his client.

After the MBA student filed a habeas corpus petition, the court directed the police to produce the woman. Complying with the court order, the woman was brought to court on Tuesday.

On being questioned by the court, the woman stated that she was a major and had the right to choose who she lived with, however, her parents were against it.

The woman informed the court that she wanted to be with the man with whom she was in a relationship for five years and did not want to go with her parents, who had kept her in improper detention since December 16.

The parents of the woman, who were also present in the court, distanced themselves from the statement made by her, although, they agreed that she indeed was a major.

Justice Shinde then asked the man who also said that he wanted to marry the woman.

After hearing the submissions from all those involved in the case, the court observed, “She is major and she can move around as per her wish. We cannot curtail her freedom, neither can the parents. She says that “she is in improper” detention. We direct the police to escort her to the destination of her choice and dispose of the petition.”

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bombay-high-court-reunites-inter-faith-couple-separated-by-woman-s-family-1760708-2021-01-19