IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc. No. M-12722 of 2010 Date of decision: 3.5.2010 Ashu Bhardwaj and another …. Petitioners Versus State of Haryana and others ….. Respondents Present : Mr. S.K. Rana, Advocate for the petitioners. *** S.S. SARON, J. The petitioners are a newly married couple. They have filed the present petition for directing respondents No.2 and 3 to protect their life and liberty and for restraining respondent No.4 who is the father of petitioner No.1 not to take any illegal action or harass and humiliate them as well as the parents of petitioner No.2. A further prayer has been made for directing the official respondents not to interfere in the peaceful married life of the petitioners and not to implicate petitioners as well as the parents of petitioner No.2 in a false case. The petitioners, it is stated, are major. The date of birth of petitioner No.1, it is stated, is 9.8.1989. She has appeared for B.A. Final Year Examination in April 2010. It is stated that the documents of proof of date of birth are in the house of petitioner No.1 and since she has left for home, she does not have access to the same. The date of birth of petitioner No.2 as per his matriculation certificate Crl. Misc. No. M-12722 of 2010 [2] (Annexure P2) issued by the Board of School Education, Haryana is 10.4.1988. The petitioners had a liking for each other and they informed their parents about their decisions to solemnize their marriage amongst themselves. The father (respondent No.4) of petitioner No.1 got annoyed as they were not ready to solemnize the marriage of the petitioners. The parents of petitioner No.1 wanted to solemnize her marriage with a boy of their choice. Despite efforts made by the petitioners, their parents did not agree. Therefore, the petitioners on their own have solemnized their marriage on 29.4.2010 at Swayamvar Sanskar Foundation, UT Chandigarh. The certificate of marriage (Annexure P3) issued by Swayamvar Sanskar Trust (Regd.), Sector 30-B, Chandigarh and the photographs (Annexure P4) of the marriage have been placed on record. The petitioners then informed the father (respondent No.4) of petitioner No.1 regarding the marriage on which he threatened to eliminate them. The petitioners therefore apprehend threat to their life and liberty from the parents and other relatives of petitioner No.1. Besides, they apprehend their false implication in a case. Respondent No.3 came to the house of petitioner No.2 and threatened his parents. The petitioners have approached respondent No.3 as well as respondent No.2, but no action has been taken. They also submitted a representation dated 29.4.2010 (Annexure P5) by way of E-mail and Fax to respondents No.2 and 3 to protect their life and liberty. However, despite that the threat to the petitioners persists. It is stated that the petitioners belong to separate castes and therefore, being an inter caste marriage, the parents of petitioner No.1 are not accepting the marriage. Crl. Misc. No. M-12722 of 2010 [3] Both the petitioners are present in Court and are identified by their counsel. It is stated by petitioner No.1 that she has solemnized her marriage with petitioner No.2 of her own free will and desire and without any kind of pressure or undue influence. She is happy with her marriage. Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, the criminal miscellaneous petition is disposed of with a direction to respondents No.2 and 3 that in case the petitioners approach any of them setting out their grievances as have been made in the present petition, the same would be looked into by them independently and in accordance with law. (S.S. SARON) JUDGE May 3, 2010 amit