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Allahabad High Court

SMT. NISHA AND ANOTHERversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 3 OTHERS

Decided

Holding

Adult individuals who have voluntarily married cannot be interfered with by any party, and the Court may order police protection conditioned upon timely marriage registration.

Summary

The petitioners, Nisha and her husband, filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the respondents not to interfere with their peaceful married life and to provide police protection. They submitted proof of majority and affirmed that their marriage was entered into voluntarily without coercion, while alleging threats and harassment from the private respondent and family members. The Court, relying on Supreme Court precedents that adult individuals have the right to choose their partners and live together without interference, held that no one, including parents, can restrict their cohabitation. It directed the Superintendent of Police to provide immediate protection upon presentation of the order and conditioned the protection on the petitioners registering their marriage within two months. The Court clarified that it did not pass upon the validity of the marriage itself and disposed of the writ petition with no costs awarded.

Issues considered

  • Whether a writ of mandamus can be issued to restrain interference in the cohabitation of adult individuals who have married of their own free will.
  • Whether the Court can direct police protection to the petitioners pending marriage registration.
  • Whether the petitioners must register their marriage as a condition for continued protection.

Subjects

  • adult marriage
  • cohabitation
  • personal liberty
  • mandamus
  • police protection
  • marriage registration
  • family harassment
  • interference

Judgment

         HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                        WRIT - C No. - 24165 of 2026

Smt. Nisha And Another
                                                            .....Petitioner(s)
                                   Versus

State Of U.P. And 3 Others
                                                          .....Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s)       : Gajendra Singh
Counsel for Respondent(s)       : C.S.C., Rajeev Kumar Tiwari, Satish
                                  Kumar Dhuriya

Court No. - 75
                 HON'BLE DR. GAUTAM CHOWDHARY, J.

1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned standing counsel
for the State.

2. By means of the present petition, the petitioners are seeking for
issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the respondents not to interfere
in the peaceful married life of the petitioners as husband and wife and
further direction has also been sought for the authorities concerned to
provide protection to the petitioners.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the petitioners
are major and to demonstrate that the petitioners are major, the petitioner
no.1 has filed her High School Marksheet, whereas in respect of
petitioner no.2 has filed his Aadhar Card. They have performed Marriage
out of their own free will and consent without any coercion and are living
together as married couple. Further, it is stated that private respondent and
other family members have got annoyed and there is serious danger to
their lives as they are being threatened and harassed. It is further stated
that the petitioners shall apply for registration of their marriage. The
averments made in the petition are supported by the joint affidavits of the
petitioners.
4. The petitioners have averred in the writ petition that they are living as
wife and husband. It is stated that they have apprehension that private
respondent can eliminate them for the honour of her family. In case, this
Court does not grant them protection, their lives may be endangered.
5. In view of the order proposed to be passed, no useful purpose would be
served in keeping the petition merely to give audience to the private
                                                         WRIC No. 24165 of 2026
                                2

opposite party.
6. Accordingly, with the consent of learned counsel appearing for the
parties, this writ petition is being disposed of finally at this stage in terms
of the Rules of the Court.

7. The Supreme Court in a long line of decisions has settled the law that
where a boy and a girl are major and they are living with their free will,
then, nobody including their parents, has authority to interfere with their
living together. Reference may be made to the judgements of the Supreme
Court in the cases of Gian Devi v. The Superintendent, Nari Niketan,
Delhi and others, (1976) 3 SCC 234; Lata Singh v. State of U.P. and
another, (2006) 5 SCC 475; and, Bhagwan Dass v. State (NCT of
Delhi), (2011) 6 SCC 396, which have consistently been followed by the
Supreme Court and this Court, as well as of this Court in Deepika and
another v. State of U.P. and others, 2013 (9) ADJ 534. The Supreme
Court in Gian Devi (supra) has held as under:

"7. ... Whatever may be the date of birth of the petitioner, the fact remains
that she is at present more than 18 years of age. As the petitioner is sui
juris no fetters can be placed upon her choice of the person with whom
she is to stay, nor can any restriction be imposed regarding the place
where she should stay. The court or the relatives of the petitioner can also
not substitute their opinion or preference for that of the petitioner in such
a matter."

8. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the
view that the petitioners are at liberty to live together and no person shall
be permitted to interfere in their peaceful living. In case any disturbance
is caused in the peaceful living of the petitioners, the petitioners shall
approach the concerned Superintendent of Police, i.e. respondent no. 2,
alongwith a certified copy of this order, who shall provide immediate
protection to the petitioners.

9. A liberty is granted to the private respondent that if the documents
brought on the record are fabricated or forged, it will be open to him/her
to file a recall application for recall of this order.

10. As registration of marriage is compulsory vide decision of the
Supreme Court reported in (2006) 2 SCC 578 and (2008) 1 SCC 180
                                                                                          WRIC No. 24165 of 2026
                                                                   3


                                    Seema (Smt.) Vs. Ashwani Kumar, the petitioners undertake to get their
                                    marriage registered within a period of two months and if the petitioners
                                    could not get their marriage registered within the stipulated period herein
                                    above, the protection granted under this order shall stand automatically
                                    vacated.

                                    11. It is made clear that this Court has not adjudicated upon the alleged
                                    marriage of the petitioners and this order in no way expresses opinion
                                    about the validity of their marriage.

                                    12. With the aforesaid observations, the writ petition is accordingly
                                    disposed of. No order as to costs.


                                                                                 (Dr. Gautam Chowdhary,J.)
                                    September 8, 2026
                                    Mustaqeem.




Digitally signed by :-
MOHD MUSTAQEEM KHAN
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad


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