HC Says Adult Woman Can Take Her Choice to Live Her Life

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court directed that a 20-year-old woman be set free from a shelter home here, observing that as an adult she was entitled to decide how and with whom she wished to live. The order permitted her to reside with her 25-year-old partner, who belongs to a different faith.

A division bench passed the direction after taking up a letter written by the man to the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court on October 14 as a writ petition. In the letter, he sought the court’s intervention, claiming that the woman was being unlawfully confined in the shelter home.

The woman, a resident of Secunderabad, had left her parental home around three months earlier with her partner, a private employee from Tukaramgate, after her mother objected to their relationship. Following this, the couple approached the Tukaramgate police requesting protection for their marriage.

The police moved the woman to Shakti Sadan, a shelter run by the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust at Hydershakote in Gandipet. She was placed there until a settlement could be reached between the families on both sides.

When the matter first came up before the court, the woman was produced and stated that she did not wish to return to her mother’s home and preferred to stay at the shelter. On that basis, the court had earlier closed the proceedings.

Later, the man filed applications seeking restoration of the case and pursued the matter through legal counsel. The High Court reopened the case on December 9 and scheduled further hearings. In compliance with court directions, the police again presented the woman before the bench on December 10, and notices were issued to all concerned parties.

During the proceedings, the woman’s mother raised objections, citing the man’s alleged criminal background. The court reiterated that the woman was a major and capable of taking her own decisions. The woman also informed the court that despite her mother’s opposition and concerns, she remained firm in her intention to marry her partner.

While petitioner’s counsel stated that the couple intended to get married, the special government pleader and the woman’s mother voiced serious apprehensions about the man’s character. The mother alleged that he had a criminal record and had submitted a forged employment certificate and argued that her daughter’s safety could be at risk if the marriage took place.

The man denied these claims and assured the court that he would take responsibility for her well-being after marriage.

After considering all submissions, the court observed that since the woman had been produced before it and was an adult, she must be allowed to act according to her own wishes. The bench also noted that if any untoward incident were to occur in the future, the woman would be free to seek remedies available under the law.

The High Court accordingly ordered the immediate release of the woman from Shakti Sadan. It declined to go into the merits of the allegations against the man, stating that the woman’s intentions were clear, and disposed of the petition.