A young man seeking to secure a girl from the custody of her parents while claiming to have married her when she was minor, was penalised by the High Court on Tuesday.
S C Harish of Sothenahalli, Doddaballapur taluk, had filed a habeas corpus petition before HC, seeking a direction to police department to secure Seema (name changed). He stated that Seema was his wife as they had married on March 10, 2007. Her parents were against their inter-caste marriage, and hence were trying for her re-marriage in stead of allowing them to live together, he said.
HC had earlier handed over the custody of Seema to her parents as she was minor then, following Seema’s father’s petition. Seema had preferred to live with Harish, but Court had told her to be with parents till majority.
Harish stated that Seema had turned a major this June. He also apprehended that her parents were attempting her re-marriage and had locked her up.
The Bench headed by Justice V Gopala Gowda observed that petition was totally misconceived. The marriage should not have taken place, as law does not permit Hindu minor girl’s marriage, it said. It added that the Court could have ordered criminal proceedings against Harish for so marrying and that his conduct needed to be deprecated.
The Bench dismissed the petition while imposing Rs 10,000 costs on Harish.