SC comes to help of same-gotra couple

Coming to the aid of a Haryana couple belonging to the same gotra, or sub-caste, who married defying family norms, the Supreme Court stayed the trial proceedings against the man and also issued a notice to the Haryana government.

The apex court stayed the trial proceedings against Parveen Kumar who moved the court seeking transfer of his trial to Delhi.

Parveen Kumar earned the wrath of his father-in-law, Ramesh Chand, for marrying Meenakshi as both belong to the same gotra and Parveen's mother and that of his wife are cousins. Parveen married Meenakshi May 25, 2009, at an Arya Samaj temple in Yamuna Bazar in Delhi. The marriage was registered at Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.

In the case filed against Parveen Kumar, he is accused of illegally going to Australia along with his wife Meenakshi and engaging in illegal immigration. The proceedings of the case is currently before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kurukshetra, in Haryana.

The apex court bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph also issued notice to Haryana government on the plea by the petitioner that the proceedings be transferred to Delhi as he feared threat to his life and of his wife and other family members. The petitioner said he feared that he will not get justice in Haryana.

Some time after their marriage, Meenakshi went to Australia followed by Parveen. One Parvinder Kaur got a case registered against the petitioner for engaging in illegal immigration and the matter is proceeding in the Kurukshetra court. Praveen has alleged that Parvinder Kaur is a close acquaintance of his father-in-law.

Besides this, two other criminal cases were registered against the petitioner and his family members involving charges of committing criminal breach of trust, cheating and engaging in criminal intimidation.

On Feb 2, 2010, Parveen's father-in-law Ramesh Chand had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking cancellation of Parveen's bail.