Uttarakhand High Court Orders Release of Woman from Forced Confinement

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the release of a 23-year-old woman who alleged she was confined by her uncle for two months and pressured to marry against her will. The court emphasized that an adult woman cannot be detained or forced into marriage, in a ruling issued on July 15.

Court Upholds Woman’s Autonomy

A bench of Justices Ravindra Maithani and Siddhartha Sah directed police to ensure the woman and her chosen partner, a driver by profession, receive adequate security. The woman expressed fears that her family might harm them if she pursued the marriage. “The corpus is major. She cannot be detained by anyone against her wishes. She cannot be compelled to marry any person against her choice,” the court stated in its order.

The woman, a graduate in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, told the court she was born in 2003 and has four siblings. She claimed her uncle and his wife had confined her for two months, beaten her, and pressured her to marry someone else. A lady constable privately examined her and confirmed the presence of old injury marks.

Threats of Violence Alleged

The woman further alleged that her uncle threatened to kill her and her partner if they married. “They will be in jail and spend money, but our lives may not come back,” she told the court. Advocate Gaurav Singh represented her in the case.

The uncle’s counsel, advocate Vivek Verma, denied the allegations of abuse and claimed the family was acting in her best interest. However, when asked by the court why an adult woman was being detained, Verma stated that the family was now willing to let her marry according to her wishes.

Medical Examination Ordered

Taking note of the injury marks, the court directed a medical examination of the woman and ordered the report to be submitted through the state counsel.

This ruling underscores the legal protection of individual autonomy in marriage decisions, particularly for adult women, and highlights the judiciary’s role in addressing coercion within families.

Source: Indian Express