NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) rescued a woman whose parents had allegedly kept her confined at their home against her wishes for three years as they were against her interfaith marriage.
The action came after the woman’s husband wrote about his ordeal to the Commission. The couple, who were neighbours, had married three years ago. In his complaint, the husband said, his in-laws did not consider her marriage to him as proper despite both being of legal age and having papers to prove
their marriage.
Subsequently, a team from the DCW along with local police reached the woman’s house and found that she was allegedly beaten up frequently and kept in a room alone. The parents and extended family of the woman tried to stop the team and even called up lawyers, the Commission said in a statement.
The woman informed the DCW team and the police that she did not wish to cause more difficulties for her parents and refused to file a case against them, it said.
The DCW team and police had a tough time in convincing the parents that legally they cannot stop their daughter from living with her husband, who is an engineer.
“Their main grudge against the marriage was that the man belonged to a different religion. They said they would accept the marriage if he converted,” the Commission said.
After her rescue on March 12, the woman is now living with her husband. The DCW has sought protection for the couple from the Delhi Police.
“It’s a shame that even today parents torture their children and force their will on them. We have seen several cases where parents resort to cruel means like physical abuse, isolation, starvation and even murder to make their daughters comply with their will. They fail to realise that not only is this illegal, but extremely immoral. The Commission shall continue to help such couples in need,” DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said.
Special Marriage Act
It caters to inter-caste and inter-religion marriages, whereby couples are not required to renounce their religion. The Act includes marriages among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. It applies to Indian citizens and those living abroad