Must re-look rights of women married to non-Parsis, says SC
The Supreme Court asked the trustees of Gujaratbased Valsad Parsi Panchayat to look for an amicable position on allowing women married to nonParsis to attend the last rites of her family in the ‘Tower of Silence’ when the need arises.
A constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra told senior counsel Gopal Subramanium to speak with members of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman Trust and inform it on December 14 about their decision. “You tell the trustees the rigidity is not always a correct principle of understanding a concept of religion. Lesser rigidity attracts more (people to the religion),” the bench said.
Subramanium said he will discuss the matter with the trustees. However, he said there was a need to look at some tenets of Zoroastrianism before the court takes a call on the issue.
The SC was hearing a petition filed by a 46-year-old Parsi woman who has challenged the rationale behind the Gujarat HC order that upheld the trust’s decision to bar her from offering prayers at the ‘Tower of Silence’ after she married a Hindu.
The HC ruled that once a woman marries a man outside her faith, she loses her belief and right to practice her religion. In the case at hand, the HC had observed the woman chose to even change her name. Although the court asked the parties to explore the possibility of a settlement, it did not indicate what would be the status of the HC ruling. When senior counsel Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioner, pointed to the order, the bench said it would look into at an appropriate stage.
The court’s suggestion was made when a woman lawyer — a Parsi married to a non-Parsi — told the court that such a restriction was not prevalent in Delhi.
A minor girl was gangraped and set afire in her house by two men in Bundelkhand region on Thursday night.
The 15-year-old victim has been admitted to the teaching hospital of Bundelkhand Medical College with 90% burns.
The incident took place at a village under Bhangarh police station of Sagar district.
The girl’s uncle told the police she was alone at home when accused Raghvendra Sen and Subham Yadav entered the house and raped her. When she raised an alarm, they poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. Hearing the 15-year-old’s screams, the neighbours rushed to her house, doused the fire and informed her family.
Bhangarh police station officer Mahendra Dhakad said an FIR under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act had been lodged and Sen had been arrested.
NEW DELHI: SAGAR: