Kashish Jain
A bench of Justice Mukta Gupta of the Delhi High Court issued notice on a woman’s petition directing the Delhi Police to ensure complete protection to a woman married against her wishes. This comes as a major relief to the woman (who is a Lesbian) who was married off to a man without her consent by her family.
While taking a progressive stance on the case, the court interacted with the woman and her husband. It then directed that steps must be taken for the earliest dissolution of their marriage. The Court stated-
“An Adult woman cannot be forced to stay with her marital or parental family against her wishes”
In this case, the Court has stated that no Ngo member should be harassed for helping the Petitioner. It also made clear that the woman in question is at liberty to shift to another location if she deems fit. The Delhi Police has also been directed to ensure she is protected at her new location and take all necessary steps.
Advocate Vrinda Grover represented the Petitioner and, Delhi Police were represented by the Standing Counsel Rahul Mehta.
The Petitioner was a Lesbian who had been married against her wishes to a man. This was done to cure her of her sexual orientation. Having escaped from her marital home recently, she sought assistance from an NGO in New Delhi. She approached ANHAD. She was then lodged in a safe house run by another Ngo. However, her family members traced her and reached the premises of the Ngo. They demanded the Petitioner be handed over to them.