In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh ...... Criminal Misc. No.M-16608 of 2010 ..... Date of decision:28.5.2010 Gurvinder Kaur and another .....Petitioners v. State of Punjab and others .....Respondents .... Present: Mr. Manu K. Bhandari, Advocate for the petitioners. ..... S.S. Saron, J. The petitioners are a newly married couple. The present petition has been filed for directing respondents No.1 and 2 to ensure protection of their life and liberty. A further prayer has been made for directing respondents No.2 not to implicate the petitioners in any false case which may be registered at the behest of private respondents who are the relatives of petitioner No.1. The petitioners, it is stated, are major. The date of birth of petitioner No.1, it is stated, is 6.6.1991. The petitioner No.1 is not in possession of the date of birth certificate as she had to leave her parental house under compelling circumstances. However, a photostat copy of the identity card (Annexure-P.1) issued by the Principal, Khalsa College, Patiala for the year 2009-10 has been filed. It is submitted that petitioner No.1 is a student of Bachelor of Computer Application and taking her Ist year examination. Therefore, according to the learned counsel, the petitioner No.1 has done 10+2 and is more than 18 years of age. The date of Cr. Misc. No.M-16608 of 2010 [2] birth of petitioner No.2 as per his Matriculation certificate (Annexure-P.3) issued by the Punjab School Education Board is 4.4.1988. The petitioners met each other at a social gathering about two and half years back. Their villages are merely 2 kms. apart. They had a liking for each other. After their courtship of two years they decided to spend their life together. The relatives of petitioner No.1 on coming to know of her relationship with petitioner No.2 started keeping a guard on petitioner No.1 and also tried to get a suitable match for her. The parents and other relatives of petitioner No.1 were opposed to the marriage of petitioner No.1 with petitioner No.2 on account of the fact that they are of different castes. Petitioner No.1 on coming to know that the parents are looking for a suitable match requested petitioner No.2 to take her to a safer place so that she could escape forced marriage. Petitioner No.1 left her parents' house on 20.5.2010 at 8.00 a.m. in the morning and they solemnized their marriage amongst themselves on 26.5.2010. It is submitted that the marriage was solemnized at Maharishi Valmiki Mandir, Sector 24-C, Chandigarh. The marriage certificate (Annexure-P.3) issued by Swayamvar Sanskar Foundation, U.T. Chandigarh and the photographs (Annexure-P.4) of the marriage have been placed on record. On account of the marriage that has been solemnized the petitioners apprehend danger to their life and liberty, therefore, they have filed the present petition for seeking protection 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. Besides, she is happy with her Cr. Misc. No.M-16608 of 2010 [3] marriage. In the afore-noticed facts and circumstances, the present criminal miscellaneous petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent No.2 that in case the petitioners approach him setting out their grievances as have been made in the present petition the same shall be duly considered and looked into by him independently and in accordance with law. May 28, 2010. (S.S. Saron) Judge *hsp*