A 19-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh firmly asserted her independence before the Gwalior bench of the High Court, choosing to leave both her husband and parents to live with her partner. When asked by the judges, she stated clearly that she was an adult acting of her own free will and wished to stay with neither her husband nor her family.The case had begun with a habeas corpus petition filed by her husband, Avdhesh, nearly a year after their marriage. He alleged that she was being illegally confined by another man, Anuj Kumar. Acting on court orders, police traced the woman, placed her in a one-stop centre, and later presented her in court in the presence of her parents, husband, and partner.
In court, the woman spoke of her troubled marriage, pointing out the 21-year age gap between her and her 40-year-old husband. She alleged mistreatment and made it clear her marital life was unhappy. Her choice was firm: she wanted to live with her partner, Anuj.The bench ordered counselling sessions to ensure her decision was voluntary. Even after counselling, she remained resolute.
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Her partner assured the judges he would take responsibility for her safety and well-being.Justices Anand Pathak and Pushpendra Yadav upheld her right to choose where and with whom she wished to live, noting that she was not under illegal detention. The court closed the habeas corpus petition and allowed her to leave with Anuj.For additional protection, the court ordered six months of monitoring by “Shaurya Didis.” The ruling aligns with a recent Allahabad High Court judgement that emphasised the legal validity of consensual adult relationships.
