A runaway couple has moved to the Supreme Court seeking protection, citing threats from family.
The couple, a 19-year-old woman from Bihar and a 22-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, fled to Delhi to get married. The girl's father and brother, however, threatened to hang them, the couple's lawyer, Harvinder Chaudhary, told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a hearing on Friday.
She said they came to the top court after they saw reels on social media that people get married at the court.
Chaudhary said she met them in the Supreme Court parking lot and filed a petition.
She claimed that they were detained by the cops in Delhi when they went to a police station to seek help.
The Supreme Court told the couple to approach the Delhi High Court for urgent relief.
"The high court will definitely consider this. I have seen many such cases when I was in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. If HC (high court) does not consider this, you can come to us," the Chief Justice said.
As Chaudhary asked for protection for three days, Chief Justice Surya Kant told her to go to the high court today itself.
The Delhi High Court then constituted a special bench to hear the case of the couple. The court, presided over by Justice Prateek Jalan, directed the Delhi Police to ensure the couple's safety.
It instructed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the concerned area to personally keep an eye on them. Standing Counsel for the State of Delhi, Sanjeev Bhandari, assured the court that the police would protect not only the couple but also the advocate who has sheltered them in Delhi. The High Court also issued notices to the police forces of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the matter. It will hear the case again on Tuesday.
The court noted that both the boy and the girl are adults and fear honour killing from their families. To confirm their ages, the judge perused their Aadhaar cards.
Justice Prateek Jalan observed that no formal order has yet been received from the Supreme Court indicating that the case is closed or disposed of there. Therefore, the Delhi High Court cannot proceed with the hearing while the matter remains pending before the top court.
