chief
Prime VIP
Chandigarh, June 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the fast tracking of trials against the runaway couples. The high court also made it clear that the runaway couples should be given “constitutional protection” available to all citizens, making it obligatory for the police to ensure their safety.
At a time when honour killings are bringing disgrace to the families of the runaway couples, Justice SD Anand directed the “trial courts” to conclude the trial within three months of the submission of the chargesheet.
The directions came on a petition filed by Jalandhar-based couple Manpreet Kaur and her husband against the State of Punjab, its functionaries and close relatives.
“The petitioners belong to the category of those who fall for each other and tie the knot without their respective parents being in know of the factum thereof,” Justice Anand noted.
“The issue focused is apprehension in the mind of the petitioners that the indicated non-official respondents, who are none else other than their close relatives otherwise, would hurt them on coming to know of the marriage entered by the petitioners without their consent.
“The counsel for the petitioners stresses the urgency and the requirement of the grant of protection by averring that there have been many instances across the country, wherein hurt, fatalistic or otherwise, had been caused to the couple or one of them….
“The matter is already engaging consideration of all segments of dispensation and it can be safely hoped that a solution acceptable to all concerned and capable of remedying the apparent malaise would emerge,” Justice Anand asserted.
The Judge also recorded the State counsel’s apprehensions on the act “hurting the moral psyche of the society”.
“The counsel, appearing on behalf of Punjab and Haryana, in a chord of concurrence, states that the factum of the parties having entered into matrimony notwithstanding, the couples are unmindful of the extent of hurt their act has caused to the psyche of their parental relations and further that their act is likely to send wrong signals to the people of their age group. The repetition of such instances, counsel proceeds to assert, might hurt the mortal psyche of the society at large, which derives essential sustenance from customs that are all the time aimed at maintaining morality and peace in the society,” Justice Anand noted.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the fast tracking of trials against the runaway couples. The high court also made it clear that the runaway couples should be given “constitutional protection” available to all citizens, making it obligatory for the police to ensure their safety.
At a time when honour killings are bringing disgrace to the families of the runaway couples, Justice SD Anand directed the “trial courts” to conclude the trial within three months of the submission of the chargesheet.
The directions came on a petition filed by Jalandhar-based couple Manpreet Kaur and her husband against the State of Punjab, its functionaries and close relatives.
“The petitioners belong to the category of those who fall for each other and tie the knot without their respective parents being in know of the factum thereof,” Justice Anand noted.
“The issue focused is apprehension in the mind of the petitioners that the indicated non-official respondents, who are none else other than their close relatives otherwise, would hurt them on coming to know of the marriage entered by the petitioners without their consent.
“The counsel for the petitioners stresses the urgency and the requirement of the grant of protection by averring that there have been many instances across the country, wherein hurt, fatalistic or otherwise, had been caused to the couple or one of them….
“The matter is already engaging consideration of all segments of dispensation and it can be safely hoped that a solution acceptable to all concerned and capable of remedying the apparent malaise would emerge,” Justice Anand asserted.
The Judge also recorded the State counsel’s apprehensions on the act “hurting the moral psyche of the society”.
“The counsel, appearing on behalf of Punjab and Haryana, in a chord of concurrence, states that the factum of the parties having entered into matrimony notwithstanding, the couples are unmindful of the extent of hurt their act has caused to the psyche of their parental relations and further that their act is likely to send wrong signals to the people of their age group. The repetition of such instances, counsel proceeds to assert, might hurt the mortal psyche of the society at large, which derives essential sustenance from customs that are all the time aimed at maintaining morality and peace in the society,” Justice Anand noted.
