SC to interact with minor Muslim ‘bride’, her husband, father

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Muslim minor girl, whose marriage was nullified by the Allahabad High Court, her ‘husband’ and the father to be present in the court on October 1 for an interaction.

The Bench, headed by Justice N.V. Ramana, issued the direction while hearing the plea of the 16-year-old Muslim girl, who has been ordered to stay in a shelter home for women in UP.

Last week, the apex court had summoned the UP Home Secretary to clarify the state government’s stand on her petition in which she questioned the high court’s decision to nullify her marriage on account of her age.

As per the Islamic Law, once a female attains the age of puberty, that’s 15 years, she is independent to take decisions in her life and is competent to marry anyone of her choice, the Muslim girl has said in her plea.

The high court had dismissed her plea against the trial court’s order observing that since she was a “minor” her case would be dealt with in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015 and as she didn’t want to join her parents, the order sending her to the shelter home was correct.