Sisters seek protection, fear threat from parents

Two sisters, aged between 20 and 25 years, have moved the Bombay High Court fearing for their lives at the hands of their parents and relatives, after they refused to cohabit with men who they were allegedly married off to at the age of three by their parents.

The court has asked the Dahisar police to immediately provide protection to them , and directed police to record their statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before a magistrate, in the murder case of a man one of the two siblings had eloped with and married when she became an adult.

The girls moved the court after the husband of one girl with whom she had eloped and married against her parents and relatives wishes, was allegedly murdered by her relatives, after assaulting him. The police registered a case under section 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code and have arrested four relatives of the girls.

The siblings, who have moved out of the parental home in their plea, stated, "We now apprehend danger to our lives at the hands of our parents and relatives." The incident of murder and alleged threats has been carried out since the past one year. The police in-charge has, on the directions of the HC, recorded the statements of the girls before the magistrate. The girls' whereabouts have been kept secret based on the directions of the court.