Court helps 18-year-old girl get passport back from parents

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Wednesday came to the rescue of an America-returned 18-year-old girl who moved the court saying that her parents wanted her to marry against her wishes and had seized her passport.

Justice S.N. Dhingra directed Delhi Police to help petitioner Shubha Arya get her passport back from her parents.

“If the parents are unwilling to co-operate, you can move an application before the court of the metropolitan magistrate asking it to issue a search warrant,” said the court directing police.

Arya said she went to America to pursue studies but was called back by her family on the pretext that her father was ill. The moment she returned, they took away her travel documents and certificates and locked her up in the home.

After escaping from the confinement, the girl approached the high court.

In her petition, she said she had a right to live life in accordance with her wishes.

She alleged she had been tricked into returning to India as her father was not ill. The real reason why her family made her return to India was that they wanted to get her married.

The teenager’s parents snatched away her certificates and passport and did not allow her to leave home.

When she slipped away, her parents filed a missing report with police. It was then that Arya approached the court, fearing that police will take her back to her family.

The court July 12 issued notice to Shubha’s parents to appear before it but they failed to appear Wednesday.

The court also ordered her parents and police not to harass her. It directed police to provide Shubha adequate protection and not to force her to reveal her present address.