HC protects couple against Khap panchayat's diktat

The Delhi High Court today gave a days' protection to a couple, who were apprehending threat to their lives from the girl's family on a khap panchayat's diktat against them for marrying in same 'gotra' and village.
The court directed the Delhi police to escort the couple, hailing from a village in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, to attend the kidnapping case proceedings in the Rohini district court here tomorrow and asked the couple to approach the trial court for protection in future.
Allowing the plea of the man, working with the Indian Army, and his wife for police protection, Justice Mukta Gupta directed the SHO of Samaypur Badli police station to take them tomorrow to the trial court in the case lodged against the man by the girl's family.

"The petitioners (couple) would be at liberty to approach the trial court for protection in this regard. However, since the date fixed before the trial court is March 13, 2013 i.E tomorrow, in case they approach SHO PS Samaypur Badli, they would be provided adequate protection and escort to the court at Rohini and safely taken back to the place in Delhi where they are temporarily residing," the court said.
Filing a petition through their counsel Vivek Kadyan, the man said the girl's family is originally from the same village where he belonged to but now her parents have settled here.

The petitioner's counsel submitted that his clients (couple) got married in March last year in a temple here against the khap panchayat's dictate not to marry in the same gotra and village.
The lawyer also submitted that the man is posted in Assam and due to the threats to his and his wife's life, he was not been able to join duty.