Inter-faith couple seeks protection from parents, Delhi HC asks police to check threat perception

By Sushil Batra
New Delhi [India], October 2 (ANI): A newly-married inter-faith couple has knocked the doors of the Delhi High Court seeking police protection claiming that the parents of the girl do not approve of the marriage and are threatening them.
A single-judge bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna, after hearing the submissions on Thursday, asked the Delhi Police to provide the mobile numbers of Station House Officer (SHO)/ Division Officer/ Beat Staff of the Kotla police station to the petitioners so that in case of any issue of their safety they may contact them immediately and seek help.
The bench, while putting the matter for further hearing on October 21, asked the couple to join the court through video conferencing for further directions and also asked the SHO concerned to study the threat perception of the petitioners and act accordingly to provide protection.
The couple has informed the court that they got married on September 15, 2020, in accordance with Muslim rites and customs, however, the family members of the girl have not approved of the marriage and they are being threatened by her parents.
The girl has alleged that a team of Haryana Police had earlier come in search of her husband and harassed the staff members of his shop. The lawyer for the couple further submitted that on September 23 they had sent an email to the Superintendent of Police (SP), Panipat, Haryana, and to Delhi Police attaching the marriage certificate and conversion certificate, etc.
The counsel of the petitioners submitted that the two were majors at the time of their marriage and the girl has converted herself to Islam and had married on her own free will and consent.
The assistant sub-inspector from Sector-13/17 police station in Haryana's Panipat has submitted that the presence of the girl is required for the purpose of recording her statement under Section 164 Code of Criminal Procedure. (ANI)