The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Stay off couple, High Court tells villagers

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Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

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Stay off couple, High Court tells villagers

CHANDIGARH, OCT. 15. The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed a Haryana panchayat not to interfere in the marital life of a couple, who were ordered by the village heads to live like ``brother and sister'' on the claim that brotherly relations existed between their clans. A division bench of the court comprising Chief Justice B.K. Roy and Judge Surya Kant asked the Panchayat in Asanda village of Jhajjar district not to force the couple -- Sonia and Rampal to live like brother and sister.

The district administration and the police chief of Jhajjar had also been asked by the court to ensure the liberty of couple to live like husband and wife.

The `Rathee Gotra' representatives at the Panchayat asserted that they would not allow Sonia to stay at Asanda village as the wife of Rampal as long it was not established beyond any doubt that her gotra was Hooda and not Rathee. `Hooda Gotra' representatives tried to substantiate their claim by stating that Sonia's grandfather had been the president of the `Hooda Khaap' and the name of her father had been mentioned as Satvir Singh Hooda in the records of the Haryana police in which he has been employed as an inspector. However, the `Rathee Khaap' members at the panchayat did not agree saying that it was not authentic proof. Dharam Singh, while adjourning the panchayat meeting, asked both the parties to produce documentary proof regarding their respective claims within a week's time. Surprisingly, neither Rampal, husband of Sonia, nor his parents were present at the meeting.

PTI

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Stay off couple, High Court tells villagers