The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday reunited a Hindu woman with her Muslim husband observing that she had the choice to live her life on her own terms.
The court also quashed a first information report lodged against the man on the charges of abduction, after noting that the woman was an adult who married him out of her own free will.
A Bench of Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agarwal was hearing a habeas corpus plea filed by the man (Salman), who submitted before the Court that his wife (Shikha) had been sent to her parents by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), against her wishes.
The woman’s father had filed a lawsuit against the husband claiming abduction of his daughter and forcing her for marriage.
Later, the woman decided to move to the court along with her husband and the bench observed that an adult woman “has a choice to live her life on her own terms”.
The court also directed the Etah police to give protection to the couple. The Etah CJM Court had earlier sent the woman to the Child Welfare Committee.
Later she was sent into the custody of her parents against her will. The Allahabad High Court subsequently termed it to be a “wrong” move.