Allahabad High Court reunites interfaith couple, slams UP Police for unlawful detention
Court terms detention under social pressure “illegal”; directs police to ensure couple’s safety and liberty
The Allahabad High Court has strongly censured the Uttar Pradesh Police for illegally detaining a Hindu-Muslim couple and ordered their safe escort to a place of their choice. A division bench of Justices Salil Kumar Rai and Divesh Chandra Samant declared the police custody of both individuals as unlawful, holding that their detention violated the fundamental right to liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The bench noted that the woman was an adult and had freely chosen to live with her partner. It rejected the police justification that “social tension” due to the couple’s interfaith relationship necessitated their detention, calling such reasoning unacceptable in a democracy governed by the rule of law. The Court stated that officers responsible for succumbing to social pressure would face departmental action.
The Court held a special sitting on a non-working day after the habeas corpus petition was filed when the couple went missing following an earlier court appearance. It reprimanded the investigating officer for continuing the probe even after the woman’s statement confirming her consent was recorded before a magistrate. The Court directed senior police officials—including the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, and the SSPs of Aligarh and Bareilly—to ensure the couple’s safety from extra-legal interference and listed the matter for further hearing on November 28.