Madras High Court Nullifies Forced Marriage of 20-Year-Old Woman to Ex-Teacher | Chennai News – Times of India

CHENNAI: Invoking its inherent and extraordinary jurisdiction, Madras high court annulled the forced marriage of a 20-year-old woman with her former French teacher after the woman personally told a division bench that her wedding and its registration were ‘done by force’ and that she did not want to live with him as his wife.
The bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice V Sivagnanam came to know about her plight after the man, a French teacher working in the Union territory of Puducherry, a former French colony, approached the court claiming that she under the illegal confinement of her parents. He had filed a habeas corpus petition (HCP) in the court.
Summoned by the judges, the woman appeared in court on Tuesday and told the bench that the man taught her French a few years ago. They got married and it was registered before the registrar of marriages in Puducherry earlier this year.
She said she was not willing to resume the marriage since it was registered forcibly.
She told the judges that without understanding the consequences and under ‘forcible circumstances’, her marriage with her former teacher was registered. She wanted to pursue her higher education and intended to go with her parents.
On his part, the man also told the court that he had realised his mistake and that he would not insist on her returning to the matrimonial home.
Recording the submissions, the judges said: “Since the petitioner is not interested in pursuing the issue and settling the same peacefully, we have allowed the detenue to go along with her parents.”
“The parties have consented to the cancellation of the marriage registration made on the file of the registrar of marriages at Puducherry. In view of the consent expressed by the petitioner and the detenue for annulling the marriage, we are inclined to set aside the registration of marriage,” the court said.
The parties are at liberty to submit this order before the registrar of marriages at Puducherry for effecting necessary entries cancelling the marriage in the marriage register, the court added.