Mumbai:
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said neither family nor court can restrict or curtail the freedom of a woman who is a major by age.
A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale was hearing a habeas corpus (produce the person)petition filed by a man claiming his 23-year-old girlfriend had been detained by her parents after they learnt of their relationship.
As per the plea, the woman’s parents were opposed to the relation as the petitioner was of a different religion Acting on an earlier court direction, police produced the woman and her parents in court on Tuesday, and the petitioner, a MBA student, told the court he wished to marry the woman but her parents were curtailing her freedom.
The court then interacted with the woman who said she was in a relationship with the petitioner since five years and they intended to marry, and that she was a 23-year-old adult.
The court, while disposing of the petition, said since the woman was a major, she is free to move as per own wish,and directed the police to escort her to the place she desires to go to from court.
