New Delhi: The Supreme Court has intervened and stayed an order issued by the Allahabad High Court, which directed the astrology department of Lucknow University to examine a woman's 'kundali' to determine whether she is a 'mangalik'.
The decision came after the top court took suo motu cognizance of a LiveLaw report regarding the High Court's order, which was made in connection with a bail application related to an alleged rape case involving the false promise of marriage.
A special hearing was held on Saturday, presided over by Supreme Cthe ourt Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Pankaj Mithal, who unequivocally stated that astrology should have no relevance to the case. Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, referred to the High Court's order as "disturbing."
The accused in the case had purportedly refused to marry the victim, citing her alleged 'Mangal Dosha' (a malefic astrological condition), as reported by LiveLaw. The accused's counsel argued that the marriage could not be solemnized due to the victim's supposed 'mangalik' status. Conversely, the victim's counsel vehemently denied the allegation, asserting that she did not possess the 'Mangal Dosha'.
Consequently, in response to the arguments presented, the Allahabad High Court instructed the Head of the Department of Astrology at Lucknow University to examine whether the woman in question indeed possesses the astrological condition known as 'mangalik'.
However, the Supreme Court's timely intervention has put a halt to the examination of the 'kundali' and dismissed the relevance of astrology to the case. The Court emphasized that such considerations have no place in legal proceedings.