Court comes to the rescue of Jind couple

THE COUPLE HAD MOVED THE COURT FOLLOWING A VILLAGE PANCHAYAT ORDER, ASKING THEM TO LIVE AS BROTHER AND SISTER

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday directed the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Jind (Haryana) to provide security to a newly-wed couple and their family, who had approached the court following a village panchayat order, asking them to live as brother and sister.

The direction came from the bench of justice Darshan Singh on the joint petition of one Praveen Kumar and Poonam, who are over five months married and had approached the high court following the village panchayat order.

As per the petitioners, Praveen Kumar, a resident of Koyal village in Narwana area married Poonam of Tarori village in Karnal in February. However, the villagers now say the marriage will have to be annulled as marriage alliances between their gotras is forbidden in the village. They had submitted that Praveen was being forced by local khap panchayat to openly declare her wife as his sister and give her a “shagun” of ` 10 as per the ritual in the area.

Praveen belongs to Kaushik Phetwadia gotra and Poonam from Kaushik Patwalia gotra. But these two gotras, as per locals, are considered in the same “bhaichara” ( brotherhood) in which marriage is forbidden.

According to petitioners, they had to run from the village as boy’s family was being humiliated by the villagers and also social boycott was threatened.