Partly allowed

Aneeta Keshari and Another v. State of U.P. and 4 Others

Allahabad HC22 Mar 2022WRIC/4319/2022

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Single judge empowered major individuals to live together free from family interference. Court directed compliance with religious conversion laws and granted police protection pending marriage registration.

What did the court decide?

Direct relief granted for protection of lives/liberty; liberty granted for 15 days to move conversion application; police protection directed for peaceful living.

Aneeta Keshari and Another Vs State of… — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Allahabad HC (2022)

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Court No. - 82

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Case :- WRIT - C No. - 4319 of 2022 Petitioner :- Aneeta Keshari And Another Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 4 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Rakesh Chandra Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.

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Hon'ble Umesh Kumar,J.

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The petitioners have preferred this writ petition for a direction upon the respondents not to interfere in their married life and also for protection of their lives and liberty.

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The petitioners claim that they are adults and living together out of their own freewill. It is stated that for the said reason, the private respondent and his other family members have got annoyed and there is serious danger to the lives of the petitioners as they are being threatened and harassed.

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Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that at the time of filing the petition, the petitioners has no knowledge that the brother of the petitioner no.1 has lodged the FIR against the unknown person for missing of petitioner no.1 on 23.01.2022 as Case Crime No. 24 of 2022 under Section 366 I.P.C., P.S.- Obra, District- Sonebhandra. It is further submitted that Court below has passed the order dated 21.02.2022 and released the petitioner no.2 on bail and petitioners are living together as husband and wife.

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In support of their age, the petitioner no. 1 has brought on record her marksheet of High School Examination, 2018 wherein the date of birth of the petitioner no. 1 is shown as 03.02.2001 and petitioner no. 2 has brought on record his marksheet of Secondary School Examination,2016, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna, wherein his date of birth is shown as 10.05.2000. Thus, it appears from the record that both the petitioners are major. They have performed their marriage in Kundari Devi Temple, Sonebhadra on 10.12.2021. They have also brought on record the complete online application for registration of their marriage.

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The petitioners have averred in the writ petition that they are living as wife and husband. It is stated that they have apprehension that private respondent can eliminate them for the honour of his family. In case this Court does not grant them protection, their lives may be endangered. It is further submitted that as per best knowledge of the deponent, till date no first information report or any complaint has been lodged against them by any one.

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Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Standing Counsel for the State functionaries. In view of the order proposed to be passed, there is no need to issue notice to private respondent. With the consent of learned counsel appearing for the parties, this writ petition is being disposed of finally at this stage in terms of the Rules of the Court.

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The Supreme Court in a long line of decisions has settled the law that where a boy and a girl are major and they are living with their free will, then, nobody including their parents, has authority to interfere with their

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living together. Reference may be made to the judgements of the Supreme Court in the cases of Gian Devi v. The Superintendent, Nari Niketan, Delhi and others, (1976) 3 SCC 234; Lata Singh v. State of U.P. and another, (2006) 5 SCC 475; and, Bhagwan Dass v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2011) 6 SCC 396, which have consistently been followed by the Supreme Court and this Court, as well as of this Court in Deepika and another v. State of U.P. and others, 2013 (9) ADJ 534 . The Supreme Court in Gian Devi (supra) has held as under:

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"7. ... Whatever may be the date of birth of the petitioner, the fact remains that she is at present more than 18 years of age. As the petitioner is sui juris no fetters can be placed upon her choice of the person with whom she is to stay, nor can any restriction be imposed regarding the place where she should stay. The court or the relatives of the petitioner can also not substitute their opinion or preference for that of the petitioner in such a matter."

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However, learned A.C.S.C. submits that the girl is Hindu and boy is Muslim by religion and there is no compliance of Section 8 & 9 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibitionof Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.

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Learned counsel for the petitioners prays for and is granted 15 days' to move conversion application before the D.M. concerned as required under the provisions of Section 8 and 9 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and obtain permission to the effect preferably within a period of two months under the provision of law.

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Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the petitioners are at liberty to live together and no person shall be permitted to interfere in their peaceful living. In case any disturbance is caused in the peaceful living of the petitioners, the petitioners shall approach the Superintendent of Police, Sonebhadra i.e. the second respondent, with a certified copy of this order, who shall provide immediate protection to the petitioners.

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A liberty is granted to the private respondent that if the documents brought on the record are fabricated or forged, it will be open to him to file a recall application for recall of this order.

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The petitioners undertake to get their marriage registered within a period of two months. If the petitioners could not get their marriage registered within the stipulated period herein above, the protection granted under this order shall stand automatically vacated.

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It is made clear that this Court has not adjudicated upon the alleged marriage of the petitioners and this order in no way expresses opinion about the validity of their marriage.

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However, this order would not come in way of investigation, if any,pending before the police authorities and the law will take its own course.

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With the aforesaid observations, the writ petition is partly allowed . No order as to costs.

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Order Date :- 22.3.2022//Fhd

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Digitally signed by FAHAD NIYAZ Date: 2022.03.24 10:21:05 IST Reason: Location: High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Aneeta Keshari and Another v. State of U.P. and 4 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Aneeta Keshari and Another v. State of U.P. and 4 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

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