'Let Him Settle First': Court Advises Teen Wanting To Live With 20-Year-Old Interfaith Partner
A Bombay HC bench was hearing a petition filed by a man who is a Muslim, seeking the release of his partner from the shelter home in Chembur.
The Bombay High Court on Monday asked a teen girl, who is housed at a government-run women’s shelter in Chembur by the Mumbai Police over an issue of living with her interfaith partner, to wait for him to “settle down before making a decision."
The court’s remark came after the 19-year-old Hindu girl told judges she didn’t wish to live with her parents and stay with her Muslim partner. She added that though her partner was 20 years old, below the legal age of marriage, she would stay with him.
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A bench of justices Bharti Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande were hearing a petition filed by the man who is a Muslim, seeking the release of his partner from the shelter home in Chembur.
The Muslim boy alleged that she had been illegally kept at the shelter home and that her detention was unlawful and in violation of her fundamental rights. Meanwhile, the court has restrained the police from arresting him in an extortion case filed by the woman’s parents.
The teen girl informed the court that she was 19 years old and had done a beautician court. She said she had not yet married the petitioner but would do so once he turned 21, the legal age for men to marry.
The court inquired whether she and the petitioner had considered how they would sustain themselves after marriage. While the girl could not provide a satisfactory response, she mentioned that such matters would be resolved, as the man had previously worked at a call centre and was confident about finding another job soon.
The man, who was present in the court, said he had started a business of undergarment clothing and hoped to make some earnings.
In response, the girl reiterated that she didn’t want to live with her parents and wanted to stay with her interfaith partner and that they would marry later.
After recording the statement of the teen girl and her partner, the bench said all their plans seemed to be in the future and told the girl, “Let him settle down first and then decide to marry him."
The bench has decided to hear the plea again on December 11.
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