The Delhi High Court in Thursday censured the Shamli Police, Uttar Pradesh (UP) for arresting two men related to a man who had married a woman against the wishes of her family.
The men had allegedly been arrested from Delhi without proper verification of the age of the woman which prompted the High Court to caution the UP Police, reports Bar and Bench.
Coming down heavily on the Station House Officer (SHO), Justice Mukta Gupta said, “Without asking the age, you go ahead and arrest people. If she is a major then isn’t her word going to prevail?”
On a query from the Court, the SHO responded that the men were not arrested in Delhi prompting the Court to warn the UP police.
“I will get all CCTV, if I see that they were arrested from here, I will order a departmental inquiry,” the Court said.
“Yahan Dilli main nahi chalega,” declared the Court. (This will not go on in Delhi).
It was alleged that the two men picked up by the Shamli Police, UP in August, 2021 following a complaint from the family of the woman. The two men were related to the man, who along with the woman, moved Court.
Previously, the Court had issued notice to the Shamli Police SHO through Delhi Police. A status report from the Delhi Police stated it had no intimation from its UP counterpart given that reportedly the men were taken away from Delhi.
The woman was found to be 21 years of age according to the First Information Report lodged in Shamli.
The Court expressed displeasure asking Shamli Police SHO why no verification of the woman’s age was carried out and the men were taken away merely on the basis of the statement of the woman’s family members.
“You didn’t even verify if she is major or not?” questioned the Court.
On not getting a clear response from the woman’s family on the woman’s age, the Court pulled them up and warned them of action if there was mischief on their part.
“Wo baalig hai.. Uski marzi.. Ye jo aapne kaam Kiya ye 100 per cent illegal hai. Padhiye.. isme likha toh hai umar 21 saal (She is a major. What you have done is 100 per cent illegal. Read this (refers to the FIR). It says age 21) ,” the Court remarked.
The Court, thereafter, directed the SHO Shamli Police to record the statement indicating the age of the woman and present it in the local court in UP so that the men could be granted bail. The statement of the woman was ordered to be recorded in the Delhi High Court premises.
“I want CCTV. If I see that there is UP police entering… I will take action. We will not permit this. You cannot do illegal acts over here,” the Court added.
