Seeking protection from HC, couple lands in trouble

Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, January 18

A move of a teenager girl of approaching the High Court to get protection, on the ground that her life is “under threat” from her parents, for she married against their wishes, has landed her husband, a granthi, and his friend in trouble.

On Friday, the Bargari police in Faridkot arrested a teenager boy, Akashdeep Singh, his friend Lovepreet Singh and a granthi of a gurdwara, Amarjit Singh, for the offence of an adult marrying a child under Section 9 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

On January 3, the girl had approached the High Court, seeking interim protection as she had married Akashdeep, her lover, and was facing threats from her parents.

However, while hearing the plea of the girl, the High Court Judge noted that on the basis of the record produced by the girl, she was a minor on January 3, 2019.

Justice Raj Shekhar Attri, the High Court Judge, noted that it was a complete violation of Section 9 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

The judge directed the police to take appropriate action against Akashdeep Singh for marrying a minor.

Under Section 9 of the Act, whoever, being a male adult above 18 years of age, contracts a child marriage shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh or with both.

Besides arresting Akashdeep, the police have arrested his friend who was a witness to the marriage ceremony and the granthi who performed the religious rituals of this void marriage. The age of Akashdeep is also around 18 years and 6 months.

As this is a non-bailable offence, all three accused will be produced before the Judicial Magistrate at Faridkot on Saturday, said Jagdish Singh, Bargari SHO.

While directing the police to book the boy for marrying a minor, the High Court has also asked the police to provide interim protection to the boy and girl to save their life. 

“If the situation so demands, the boy and girl be also provided facility of Protection Home, as per their requirement. However, this order shall not be applicable in case any act of the boy and girl pertaining to the application, amounts to an offence,” reads the High Court order.