MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras HC has opined that the marriageable age of girls could be raised from 18 years or put on par with that of men.
The Bench was closing a Habeas Corpus Petition filed by a parent seeking a direction to police to trace his adolescent daughter, an engineering student, who had eloped. The Bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and V S Ravi noted that in several cases, adolescents, on attaining majority, preferred to choose their own life partners without considering the wishes, desires and future expectations of their parents. It was the grievance of the parents that in adolescence, their wards were not mentally and psychologically mature enough to decide things, particularly with regard to marriage.
Owing to infatuation and lack of understanding, teenagers developed relationships assuming that someone else would take care of their needs, the judges stated.
“However, we have our own limitations in issuing any orders, in view of the laws of the land. Even during the hearing of some HCPs, parents have posed us questions about their rights over their children,” the judges said.
“In such cases, education, which is a determinative factor for development, is disrupted. Legislation and religions are involved. But having regard to a serious question posed by one of the parents on their right over their children on marriage, and upon looking at the provisions of the Indian Majority Act, 1875, Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, we are of the humble opinion that the issue has to be addressed,” they opined.