Chandni And ANR v. State(Govt. Of NCT Of Delhi) And ORS

$~46 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(CRL) 137/2019, CRL.M.A. 956/2019 CHANDNI AND ANR.

.....Petitioners Through:

Mr. Shahrukh Ahmad, Advocate.

Versus

STATE (GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI) AND ORS. .....Respondents Through:

Mr. R.S. Kundu, Additional Standing Counsel for State with Mr. Bhagat Singh and Ms. Suman Saharam, Advocates with SI Khagnesh, P.S.

Seelampur.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE NAJMI WAZIRI

O R D E R

% 17.01.2019 CRL.M.A. 956/2019 (for exemption) Allowed, subject to all just exceptions.

The application stands disposed-off.

W.P.(CRL) 137/2019 Issue notice.

The learned counsel named above accepts notice on behalf of the State.

The petitioners are legal adults. They have filed photocopy of their Cards issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India as proof of their age, which shows that both of them had attained the age of majority as of the date of contracting marriage on 05.12.2018. They claim to have married each other of their free volition. They made representation to the police on 24.12.2018 as they apprehend grave fear to their life, limb and

liberty from their relatives because the marriage is not with their concurrence and the latter are inimical to the petitioners. In the circumstances, the petitioners shall be provided due protection by the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area of their residence in Delhi. They will be interacted with and will be provided three telephone numbers of police officers including one of the lady police officer. These numbers shall be kept operational at all times so that any exigency can be intimated on either of the numbers by the petitioners. The Court is assured by the learned counsel for the State that any message received on the said numbers or on any other telephone number of the police either by way of a telephone call or SMS shall be immediately responded to.

The address of the petitioners shall not be disclosed to anybody by the police. Additionally, the Beat Constable/Division Staff of the area shall regularly visit the residence of the petitioners on a daily basis and report the same in the Roznamcha. The safety and security of the petitioners shall be assessed by the SHO on a weekly basis with due endorsement of the same in the Roznamcha. The Beat Constable shall record entries in his Beat Book. The learned counsel for the State submits that the SHO concerned shall duly sensitize the petitioner's relatives about their right to choose a life partner; to marry as per their free volition; to live a life according to their choice and nobody has a right to interfere in the same.

He also assures the Court that the police officer present in the Court will interact with the petitioners in the Court itself and he and the SHO concerned shall assure them of their safety.

Should the petitioners shift their address to the jurisdiction of any other Police Station in Delhi, the same protection shall be granted to them

by the SHO of the subsequent Police Station as well. No further orders are required.

The petition stands disposed-off in terms of the above. A copy of this order be given dasti to the learned counsel for the parties.

NAJMI WAZIRI, J.

JANUARY 17, 2019 sb