HC restores married minor girl to family

Mahesh and Chitra (names changed) from a village in Tumkur district fell in love when they were studying in PU. After finishing his course, Mahesh moved to Bangalore, where he worked in a garment factory.

Unable to bear the separation, Chitra threatened to commit suicide if they did not marry. The two got married and Chitra moved to Bangalore and started living with Mahesh. The only problem was both of them were minors. Mahesh was 18, while Chitra was 17.
Surprising, Chitra’s parents lodged a complaint with the police only after three months. When police brought the girl to the police station, Chitra’s mother chose to take her gold earrings back from her daughter and asked her to go back to Mahesh.

Less than two months later, Chitra’s parents filed a habeas corpus petition in the HC stating that their daughter had been kidnapped. Police once again produced her, this time in the Court on Tuesday, where the young husband and wife were in tears over their impending separation. Sensitive to the delicate nature of the case, the court decided to hold the proceedings behind closed doors.

According to the counsel for the petitioners, the parents decided to withdraw the petition after some hectic negotiation ensured that their daughter would accompany them home. The court decided not to pursue any punitive action against Mahesh, as Chitra’s parents said all they wanted was their daughter back.

Basha’s plea adjourned

The High Court on Tuesday adjourned to May 24, the hearing on the plea of advocate Sirajin Basha seeking vacation of the stay on criminal proceedings against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his family.

Sirajin Basha and K N Balraj, also an advocate, had filed private complaints in a trial court charging the chief minister and his family of illegal gain by denotification of land. A single judge of the HC had stayed criminal proceedings and the Supreme Court dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the HC order.

Declining to interfere with the HC order, the Bench of Justices V S Sirpurkar and T S Thakur had directed that the petitions filed by Sirajin Basha and others be decided within six weeks. Basha, in his appeal before the apex court had contended that the stay granted by the HC on March 29 stalled the trial of all the accused persons, including the chief minister and his son-in-law Sohan Kumar.