Himachal Pradesh High Court: The Single Judge Bench comprising of Tarlok Singh Chauhan, J., addressed a very unusual petition in which the court exercised its “parens-patriae” jurisdiction.
In accordance to the facts of the case, petitioner is said to have requested her parents to marry “L” who is a facebook friend of the petitioner/ “K”, but after several attempts also petitioner’s parents did not agree for the marriage and instead they lodged a complaint against “L” under Sections 363, 366 376 IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. Further the petitioner was handed over to her parents when she had claimed to have married “L” but later the petitioner came back to “L’s” house.
On filing the instant petition, the petitioner had sought reliefs on not being restrained by her parents or the police from living in her husband’s house or from any kind of harassment and also provision of police protection.
However, the Court had earlier asked for a status report in which it was seen that the petitioner is happily living with “L’s” parents and is being treated well by them. On looking at this report the Court directed that no authority shall remove the petitioner from such custody without the leave of this Court.
Therefore, the Hon’ble High Court, exercised “parens-patriae” jurisdiction to secure the welfare of the minor by taking instance from the Supreme Court case of Lata Singh v. State of U.P., (2006) 5 SCC 475 and proposing to the petitioner to live at Balika Ashram till the time she attains the age of majority and thereby, she will be free to go anywhere, marry anyone and love anyone she likes on reaching the age of majority, till that time no authority or person shall have the permission of the Court to take the petitioner from the Balika Ashram. [‘K’ v. State of H.P., 2018 SCC OnLine HP 432, dated 12-04-2018]
