Reasserting the constitutional protection afforded to adult individuals in matters of marriage, the Delhi High Court held that the personal liberty of two consenting adults to marry and cohabit is an inviolable facet of Article 21 of the Constitution. The Court clarified that familial disapproval, however intense, cannot curtail this autonomy, and any interference, whether overt or covert, must be prevented by the State.
The matter arose from a petition by a couple who had solemnised their marriage in July 2025 in accordance with Hindu rites at an Arya Samaj trust in Delhi. The petitioners approached the Court after the woman’s parents allegedly attempted to coerce her into abandoning the relationship. Notably, she had voluntarily left her parental home and, during a police inquiry initiated on the basis of a “missing” complaint, unequivocally affirmed the validity of her marriage. The inquiry was subsequently closed.
In disposing of the petition, Justice Sanjeev Narula directed the local Station House Officer to ensure the couple’s protection by deploying a beat officer, apprising them of the Court’s directions, and supplying emergency contact details. The Court further instructed that any threat reported by the petitioners be promptly recorded and acted upon without procedural delay.
The Court observed that the Supreme Court has, in multiple pronouncements, recognised the right of consenting adults to make intimate life choices free from societal or familial interference, and has imposed a corresponding duty on law enforcement agencies to shield such individuals from harassment. It clarified that the Court was not entering into a determination of the truthfulness of the allegations but was acting solely to secure the petitioner's fundamental rights to life, liberty, and dignity.
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