None can interfere if an adult marries as per her choice, convert: Calcutta HC
Kolkata, Dec 24: Hearing a petition by a father claiming that his daughter has been unduly influenced to marry a man of a different religion, the Calcutta High Court has observed that there can be no interference if an adult marries as per her choice and decides to convert.
After a 19-year old woman married a person of her choice, her father petitioned the high court, complaining that his daughter's statement before a magistrate may not have been recorded in an atmosphere where she felt comfortable.
On an FIR filed by the father, the police had produced the woman before a judicial magistrate, before whom she made a statement that she had married of her own will.
"If an adult marries as per her choice and decides to convert and not return to her paternal house, there can be no interference in the matter," a division bench comprising justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee observed on Monday.
Upon the father's complaint, the high court had directed that the woman would meet the senior-most additional district judge in Tehatta and that sufficient care was to be taken so that she was not under any coercion or undue influence.
The bench noted that despite a clear and clean report being furnished by the additional district judge, the father harbours some suspicion.
Susmita Saha Dutta, the lawyer representing the father, claimed before the division bench that the husband was present within the court premises at Tehatta in Nadia district when the woman appeared before the judge.
The bench directed that to allay the fathers suspicion, the woman will meet additional public prosecutor Saibal Bapuli in his chamber in Kolkata on December 23.
The bench further directed that at the time the woman meets Bapuli, who is representing the state in the matter, there should be no one else in the room, including her husband.
It directed Bapuli to file a short report when the matter appears for hearing again on December 24.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
