The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted protection to a 16-year-old girl from Bihar who alleged she was forcibly married to a man twice her age and later subjected to abuse.
The Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Manmohan directed the Director General of Police, Bihar, and the Delhi Police Commissioner to ensure the safety of both the girl and her friend, who helped her escape the abusive marriage and was facing a kidnapping charge.
The top court of the country further ordered senior police officials to provide the girl and her friend with emergency contact numbers to be used in case of any exigency.
The petitioner sought annulment of her marriage under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and protection from any coercive police action till the case was fully adjudicated.
The girl apprised the Apex Court that she had taken her Class 10 board exams when she was married off on December 9, 2024, under pressure from her family.
The groom, a civil contractor aged about 33, allegedly insisted on the marriage as repayment for financial support extended to her family, noted the petitioner, adding that she dreamt of becoming a teacher or a lawyer.
As per the petitioner, she was immediately sent off with her husband after the ceremony and was not allowed to return home, despite promises that she could come back in two days.
Her in-laws repeatedly told her that they wanted a child and that too much money had been spent on the wedding to reverse it. The girl alleged that she was told she would not be allowed to continue her studies.
The petitioner accused her husband of repeatedly abusing her both physically and emotionally, especially after she resisted physical intimacy.
The girl said she remained in a state of distress until mid-January 2025, when her maternal uncle persuaded her in-laws to let her visit her parental home. Her requests to terminate the marriage and pursue her education were ignored by her parents also, she added.
On March 31, 2025, the petitioner left her home and sought help from her friend. After much persuasion, he agreed to accompany her to Varanasi. The two have been on the run since, fearing for their lives.
The petitioner claimed that her husband made public threats, declaring in their village that he would kill the girl and happily go to jail for it.
She further said that her mother filed a kidnapping case against the friend in Patna’s Piplawan Naubatpur police station, allegedly concealing the fact that her daughter had already been married.