Allahabad HC slams UP Police for illegally detaining interfaith couple under ‘social pressure’

The Allahabad High Court on Saturday criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police for the illegal detention of a Hindu-Muslim couple, stating that the police had acted under “social pressure” instead of upholding citizens’ constitutional rights.

The court said that in a democracy, law enforcement must protect individual liberties rather than yield to public or social sentiment.

A bench comprising Justices Salil Kumar Rai and Divesh Chandra Samant observed that detaining the couple - a Hindu woman and a Muslim man - because of social pressure only deepened the illegality of the act. The court also directed that the officers responsible face departmental action and ordered the police to ensure the couple’s safety.

The case began after the woman’s father filed a complaint alleging that his daughter, whom he claimed was a minor, had been abducted by the Muslim man. Acting on the complaint, Aligarh Police arrested the man. However, when the couple appeared before the court, the woman stated that she was an adult and had married of her own free will.

The couple later alleged that after leaving the court on Wednesday, they were abducted by the woman’s father and others with police assistance. The woman was reportedly placed in a One Stop Centre in Aligarh, while the man was held at a police station.

Government advocate Patanjali Mishra informed the bench that the woman was later presented before a magistrate, who confirmed that she was an adult. The magistrate recorded her statement that she had married voluntarily and wished to stay with her husband. She was subsequently released.

During Saturday’s in-camera hearing, the woman reiterated her desire to live with her husband. When asked why the couple had been detained, the state counsel said the step was taken due to communal tensions in the area following their interfaith marriage. The court rejected this justification, saying it could not excuse the violation of their rights.

Declaring the detention “illegal” and in breach of Article 21 of the Constitution - which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty - the bench ordered their immediate release.

The court emphasised that police officers are expected to use their authority to safeguard the freedoms of citizens, not to restrict them under societal pressure.

The case will be heard again on November 28, with the Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police directed to appear before the bench in person.