Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh to inform High Court on response time for helping distressed runaway couples
Chandigarh, May 26
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will inform the Punjab and Haryana High Court about the response time for helping distressed runaway couples.
Appearing before Justice Avneesh Jhingan’s Bench, the two states and the UT have sought time to inform the court “as to what would be the practical time period within which first help from the receipt of the complaint could reach the distressed couples”.
As the matter came up for resumed hearing before Justice Jhingan’s Bench, the state counsel for Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh also submitted that the officials required and infrastructure machinery necessary to deal with the threat perceptions to runaway couples seeking protection had been put in place and made operational. “Portals have been activated. The public awareness process with regard to the forums and remedies available is being carried out,” the Bench was told.
It was further submitted that portal details, forums and helpline numbers would be circulated to members of the Bar through the social media by the Bar associations. The entire process was being carried out with the active cooperation of the district Bar associations.
The counsel for the UT, Chandigarh, also submitted that awareness boards had been put up in the District Courts of Chandigarh and would shortly be put up at conspicuous spaces on the court premises. “A suggestion was made by this Court to the counsel for UT that since Chandigarh has the High Court of States of Punjab and Haryana, it will be appropriate that in the awareness boards the portals and helpline numbers of States of Punjab and Haryana should also be displayed along with UT portal and helpline numbers,” Justice Jhingan observed.
