Family’s Consent not required if two Adults decide to Marry: SC

New Delhi, 13/2: The Supreme Court of India said on Friday that the consent of the family or community, or clan was not necessary when two adults agree to marry each other. An adult’s right to marry a person of their choice should not be affected by the concepts of “class honor” or “group thinking” said a division bench of Justice Sanjay Kaul and Justice Hrishikesh Roy.

The bench gave its order while judging on a case where a woman’s father lodged a missing person complaint as she had married a man without informing him. The investigating officer insisted that the girl should appear before the Murgod police station to record the statement so that the case could be closed even after knowing about the marriage and the girl’s whereabouts.

The couple approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the IO was asking the woman to come back to Karnataka or else they would come to her and file a kidnapping case against her husband.

“The way forward to the police authorities is to not only counsel the current IOs but device a training program to deal with such cases for the benefit of the police personnel,” the bench said.

“Possibly, this is the way forward where caste and community tensions will reduce by such intermarriage but in the meantime, these youngsters face threats from the elders and the courts have been coming to the aid of these youngsters,” the court added.