Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court, comprising Justice Vibha Kankanwadi and Justice Sanjay Deshmukh, directed the police commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to provide adequate police protection to the petitioner couple and their family members until the next hearing of the petition (by April 1). The bench also ordered issuing notices to the state government and the police commissioner.
An inter-caste married couple filed a criminal petition seeking police protection, and during the preliminary hearing of the petition, the bench issued the above directions. While all aspects of the petition need to be considered based on merit, the bench emphasized that since the petitioners are citizens of the country, they must be provided protection "temporarily." However, the bench clarified in its order that police protection would not be provided at the state's expense for their entire lifetime.
What is the petition?
The petition was filed by an inter-caste couple, stating that after taking the Buddhist initiation before marriage, they got married on February 17, 2025. The couple has submitted the initiation certificate and marriage certificate issued by the relevant institution along with the petition in the court. The woman's family has filed a complaint stating that their daughter is missing. Besides, the woman had informed the Cantonment Police Inspector and the Police Commissioner via post, mentioning that she was of sound mind and capable of making her own decisions. In the letter, she stated that she had entered into the marriage voluntarily. These documents have been attached to the petition.
Request for police protection
During the hearing, Adv M P Gandle stated that since the marriage of the couple, the woman’s family and the police have been making repeated phone calls. This has led them to believe that the petitioners' lives are in danger. Therefore, the lawyer requested that the petitioners be provided with police protection. Adv. Gandle was assisted by Adv. Siddharth Paikarao and Someshwar Mundik in this matter.