‘Living conditions at Naari Niketan not ideal for young mother, child’

LUCKNOW:The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the superintendent of the Nari Niketan in Lucknow to release an 18-year-old woman residing there with her sixmonth-old daughter.

She was sent to the protection home following a September 5 order by the authorities concerned after her father lodged an FIR against her husband under sections 363, 366 of the IPC at a police station in Hardoi.

Passing the order on Monday, the court also took judicial note of the fact that the living conditions at the Nari Niketan in the state capital are not ideal for a young mother and her child while ordering her release.

A division bench comprising Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh passed the order allowing a Habeas Corpus petition filed by the girl through her husband.

The petitioner requested the court to quash an order dated September 5 wherein she was confined to live in a protection home for women.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that in the course of the investigation, the radiological age of the girl was found to be 18 years.

In her statements before the magistrate, she said she married

the husband out of choice, but her father didn’t approve of their relationship. She further informed that she had gone to Delhi out of choice and stayed with the youth for three months.

Later, they came to Hardoi and got married in a temple. The girl clarified they have a daughter and she doesn’t want to live with her father. Neither was the girl’s father present nor did any counsel appear for him despite being served a notice.

The court said criminal proceedings were initiated against the youth as the girl’s father didn’t approve of their marriage.