Parents cannot remain mute when their children take a wrong decision regarding their marriage, observed the Kerala High Court on Friday.
It further opined that “the liberties guaranteed to citizens could not be stretched beyond limits and should not be used as a weapon to destroy social establishments.”
The bench observed that it “cannot accept as a general principle that parents are in all circumstances bound to concede absolute decisional autonomy to their children, even if they have reached the age of majority, and remain helpless in situations where their wards have taken wrong and immature decisions.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Antony Dominic and Justice Anil K Narendran made the observation while dismissing a habeas corpus writ filed by Lal Parameswar of Angamaly, seeking a directive to produce his lover before the court and to set her at liberty. It also observed that like any other sphere of life, there have been changes in social and moral values.
According to the petitioner, who works as a Medical Officer in the District Hospital, Koorkkanchery, he got acquainted with Greeshma while working at the Elite Mission Hospital, Koorkancherry.
She was working as a resident medical officer at the same hospital. Though they decided to get married, her parents objected to their relationship.
The girl’s father submitted before the court that he did not illegally detain his daughter, but was acting for her welfare, exercising his natural right as the parent of his only daughter. He said that her daughter was using more than three mobiles and produced some of the SMS the lovers had exchanged.