Tanvi Sinha
Gujarat High Court orders immediate release of an arrested inter-faith couple, one Nisar Khan and his wife, Shweta Rawal, who were apparently illegally detained after they married by the police, after a petition made by the husband’s brother.
The arrest happened an FIR was lodged by the parents of the girl who were unhappy about the marriage. The father alleging that their daughter had run away after stealing money from them.
The HC with a two-judge bench of Justices Sonia Gokani and Sangeeta Vishen reported the facts of the case to be shocking and said that the Range IG needs to bear in mind that undue fervour was shown to the couple, because of their marriage being an inter-faith one.
The HC also told the Range IG to specially note the conduct of Respondent 5 and 6 under whose custody the couple are in.
The HC also reminds the IG and police of the golden words of the Supreme Court in the 2018 Shakti Vahini case where the court had laid down a list of directives to keep in mind to protect young people of different faiths or castes whose marriage or relationship was opposed by their families, local communities or Khaps.
The SC in that case had in a point stated that the relationship of such couples needs to be protected by their local District Magistrate.
Along those lines, the advocate for the couple asked for police protection and the court granted them the same.
The man was 30 years old and the woman 29 and have been friends since childhood according to the petitioner.
