Dad wants daughter who eloped back, HC refuses to interfere
Times of India | 9 July 2024
Kolkata: While hearing a father’s plea against his daughter’s boyfriend, the Calcutta High Court on Monday said that it could not interfere with the choice made by the 19-year-old woman. Namrata Roy, a student of Bolpur College, eloped with her boyfriend and was staying with him.
Acting on an earlier direction by the high court, Namrata’s father came to meet her in court on Monday, and asked her to come back home.Namrata, however, told her father that she was an adult and would like to stay at her boyfriend’s place. Noting that Namrata had come to meet her father according to his wish, Justice Amrita Sinha held that the court would not interfere with her choice.
Namrata left home on Jan 25 for college and didn’t return after which her father moved Bolpur ACJM court stating that she had fled with her boyfriend Sarbajit Hazra (20). In Feb, the court passed an order of injunction against child marriage since Sarbajit had not attained marriageable age yet. On March 11, Sarbajit and his father gave an undertaking at Ilambazar PS, stating that the former would not marry till he was 21.
On June 28, the HC wanted to know whether Namrata was forced to leave her home. Her counsel submitted that she had already given a statement to the police stating that she had left home on her own accord. The counsel also submitted that she had given an undertaking to police stating that she would not marry until Sarbajit was 21.
On Monday, Justice Sinha also directed Ilambazar Police to ensure that she didn’t face any harm due to her decision.