Punjab and Haryana High Court annulled the marriage of a 20-year-old woman and a 19-year-old boy who were seeking police protection. The young couple claim that they had taken holy vows of marriage by taking the ‘saat pheras’ around the fire lit in a utensil in a hotel room.
Noting that it is not a valid marriage ceremony in many ways, the court imposed Rs 25000 cost on the runaway couple. The amount is to be paid to the High Court Legal Services Committee.
The couple eloped and married in a hotel room on n September 26. But they don’t have any marriage certificate to show or any photographs taken to provide before the court.
They had sought the protection of their lives and liberty as they were receiving threats for marrying against the wishes of their families.
As per the couple, they had stayed in a hotel and the boy applied vermilion (sindoor) and exchanged garlands before taking ‘saat pheras’ under the traditional custom by lighting a fire in a utensil in the hotel room. They submitted that there was no mantra recited at the time.
“The boy was not of marriageable age and that the couple was trying to mislead the court that they had got married. “The aforesaid explanation appears to be an attempt to cover up the fact that in fact there was no valid marriage amongst the petitioners though it has been stated so in the petition,” noted the court.
However, the high Court bench has directed the Panchkula police commissioner to provide protection to the couple since they apprehend a threat to their lives and liberty
