Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has issued directions to Director General of Police of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States that no FIR should be filed in the event of love marriages.
The court has directed DGP’s to issue permanent orders to all the police stations that no FIR should be filed in the event of love marriages following both the parties consent with both of them being major unless the marriage was a forced one or under pressure, threat or under intoxication, coercion or undue influence.
Justice Suresh Kumar Kait gave the verdict following a case filed in High Court regarding love marriage. He also directed the DGP’s to instruct the police officer’s to investigate the complaints lodged if any in such cases by the parents of girl stating their daughter was missing or absconding.
The Police officer’s are also directed to close the FIRs and submit the final report in Court once it is found that the case is of love marriage followed by mutual consent and both the parties attained major age and not of kidnapping or missing.
High Court Judge has advised the police to maintain law and order and that their main duty is to protect people and see that law is maintained at any cost with honesty and without assisting the girl’s parents and subjecting the boy or groom to torture.
Judge pointing out to parents indifference’s in this century regarding inter-caste marriage’s and inter-religion marriage’s and also referring to youngsters who face wrath of their parents for marrying someone of their choice the said “There are cases where parents live in the 21st Century; however, in event of inter-caste or inter-religion marriage, their thinking is of 18th Century”.
The judge further said that there are “very rare examples in society where in cases of love, parents have solemnised marriages of their children in different caste or religion. They can write well and may also speak well about inter-caste and inter-religion marriages, but when the question is about their children, they are not near to what they say in society.”
The judge also observed that : “It cannot be disputed that every educated person will claim that he does not believe in casteism and he loves all religions, but when their children are in love and solemnise marriage, then upper caste, lower caste, rich and poor, including religion, comes to their minds.” He said that if children do not agree with their thinking, then parents have no option but to accept or leave them to their fate.
“The youth of this country is of very forward thinking. No one can control them. They do not mind solemnising inter-caste or inter-religion marriage” the Judge added.
Though the directions given by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait were prior to the recent Swathi-Naresh love story, the directions now have become a discussion point after the tragic death of the couple following their inter-caste marriage DC reported.