Court Comes To The Rescue Of Newly-Wed Haryana Couple Who Defied Family Diktat

A district court's intervention has saved the marriage and the lives of a newly-wed couple, who had dared to tie the nuptial knot against their families' wish. Hearing a plea filed by the couple, who feared attack by the bride's kin, the court summoned her family members and instructed them to give in writing that they would not cause any harm to the duo.

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Sunil (26) of Daulatabad Kuni, located on the outskirts of Gurgaon, loved Pooja (24), a native of neighbouring village of Helmandi. The two belonged to the same gotra. As per an age-old tradition that is being followed in this part of the state, marriage within the same gotra is prohibited.

Thus, Pooja eloped with Sunil and got married as per the Hindu rituals in Ghaziabad on September 14 without their families' knowledge. After a little persuasion, Sunil's parents, nevertheless, accepted the marriage and welcomed the couple into their house.

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But Pooja's family members were not ready to acknowledge their relationship, as for them, marriage within the gotra means demeaning the family's name. Treating the "incident" as a blot on their family, the members of bride's family started threatening the couple. After repeated attempts to convince Pooja's family failed, the couple approached the district and sessions court in Gurgaon in the second week of this month, seeking police protection.

"We had tried everything to convince my in-laws, butin vain. We feared for our lives and had no other option but to move the court," said Sunil.

Taking cognisance of the issue, district and sessions judge Harnam Singh Thakur sent the couple to a shelter home under police protection and directed their family members to appear in the court. While Sunil's family appeared before the court and recorded their statements, expressing support to the relationship, Pooja's kin ignored the court's directive.

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Irked, the court issued a fresh summon on December 20 to the girl's family, warning them of action if they failed to appear before the court again.

Finally, Pooja's family appeared before the court on December 23, and gave it in writing that they would not cause any harm to the couple. "We have not done anything wrong. We will be happy to get blessings from our relatives and family members," said Sunil. After getting the court's assurance, they have withdrawn thee plea, he said.