Apprehending honour killing by her family, a 19-year old girl of Rajasthan origin from Coimbatore has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking protection to her and her husband whom she married against her parent's wishes barely days after she agreed to desert him.
Appearing before the court in a habeas corpus petition filed by her husband Sudhagar, Manju had told a division bench comprising S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash that she was willing to go with her parents, following which the court closed the petition on July 10.
Her change of mind stated in a habeas corpus petition filed by her today prompted the court to recall its "unsigned" July 10 order.
Manju in her present habeous corpus petition said she voluntarily got married to Sudhagar, with whom she was in love, on April 13, 2014. She had agreed to go with her parents only because some friends and relatives and the APP advised her to do so, saying else her father would be arrested based on her husband's complaint.
However, since then, she was forced to remain in the house as if she was under arrest. She managed to escape and joined her husband on July 15, she submitted.
Alleging that "honour killing" was "a custom" in her community if a girl married outside, she apprehended "there is every danger to their lives" and prayed for adequate security to her and her husband.
Posting the matter for tomorrow, the bench directed Additional Public Prosecutor Maharajan to instruct police in Coimbatore, who were said to have held some talks with the father of the girl, to be present in the court.
It also directed the counsel for the girl's parents J.Venaram Patel and Seetha Devi to be present in the court.
Earlier, Sudhagar in his habeous corpus petition had submitted he and Manju fell in love and they got married at a temple in Coimbatore.
Her parents lodged a complaint with police against him but it was closed after recording his and Maju's statements that they wanted to live as husband and wife.
But later when they visited her parent's house, he was locked up in a room and Manju was forcibly taken to Rajasthan by her parents, he alleged.
Manju submitted that her parents took her signatures on blank papers and lodged a complaint with Rajasthan police against her husband as if he had kidnapped her.
