Allahabad HC comes to the rescue of inter-faith couple

Jan 8, 2021
Prayagraj (UP):  The Allahabad High Court has come to the rescue of another inter-faith couple, facing harassment at the hands of their families.

A single bench of Justice Saral Srivastava said that no one can interfere with the lives of two adult individuals who have decided to live together.

The court directed that police protection be granted, if necessary, to a couple that had married across religions.

Justice Saral Srivastava reiterated that nobody is entitled to interfere with the peaceful lives of two adults who were living together.

In this case, a Hindu woman had converted to Islam prior to marrying a Muslim man. The petitioners claimed that they are adults and living together out of their own free will.

They told the court that the woman decided to follow the Muslim religion and converted herself voluntarily. The couple approached the court and said that they were being threatened and harassed by family members.

In support of their age, the petitioners brought on record their High School mark sheet and Aadhar cards.

After the certificates confirmed that the petitioners were adults, the court directed the police to provide protection to the young couple, if necessary.

The Court also directed the husband to create a fixed deposit of Rs. 3 lakhs in favour of his wife by the next date of hearing on February 2, 2021.

This is not the first time in the recent months that the High Court has come to the aid of couples who had married across faiths.

The Court has repeatedly held that where the two individuals having attained the age of majority, are living together, nobody is entitled to interfere in their peaceful life.

In December last year, the High Court had expressed that a woman who had attained the age of majority had the right to live her life on her own terms.

In November, the Court said that the right to live with a person of one’s choice is intrinsic to the right to life and personal liberty irrespective of religion.

In both cases, the Court granted relief to couples who had approached the Court on account of facing opposition to the marriage across faiths. IANS