Haryana: Runaway couple posed as adults, in contempt loop now

CHANDIGARH: A minor runaway couple from Fatehabad district of Haryana who had posed as adults before the Punjab and Haryana high court while seeking protection from their families who were opposing their relationship have now landed in a legal tangle. Taking suo motu cognizance for misleading the high court by concealing their actual age, the HC on Monday issued contempt of court notice for initiating proceedings against them.
Justice Nirmaljit Kaur directed in her order, "Issue notice of motion for February 16, to show cause as to why the contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the respondents under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971." The judge has also directed the SP and DSP Fatehabad to file an affidavit on the next date of hearing regarding the age of the couple.
The youth, Manjit Singh, 20 and Rina Rani, 17, of Jakhal town of Fatehabad district in Haryana had approached the HC on September 24 claiming that they were adults and had solemnized their marriage against the wishes of their family members. They had also sought directions for protecting their life and liberty. However, the family of girl had approached the HC claiming that she was only 17 years and six months. On this, the HC had asked the state authorities to look into the matter regarding the age of the couple.
On October 5, a reply was filed by the state informing that that as per the records gathered from the registrar, births and deaths/school, the date of birth of petitioner boy is July 25, 2000, and the girl’s is March 27, 2003, thereby making them both below the marriageable age in terms of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
As the couple had given their respective ages to be 21 and 20 in the petition and the same was found to be wholly contrary to the record, the HC asked the couple to file a reply on the issue. When the matter came up for hearing on October 29, the couple offered to withdraw their petition. While the HC allowed this, but considering the fact that they had concealed information before the HC, the court ordered the registry to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against them.