Girl who eloped allowed to stay with husband

A city court ordered a women's remand home to release a girl who married a neighbour and eloped to Bihar.

A city court on Wednesday ordered a women's remand home to release a girl who married a neighbour and eloped to Bihar, turning down the custody plea of her parents claiming she is a minor.

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"You may feel free to go where you wish to," Metropolitan Magistrate Ravinder Kumar told the girl after inspecting her CBSE certificates that prove she is a major.

The girl told the court she would like to go to her husband's place after which the magistrate directed the Nari Niketan, where she was lodged, to release her.

The court also dismissed the allegations of her parents that she was kidnapped by one Mohammed Mazhar Sabri and taken to Munger in Bihar, where he hails from.

Sabri was arrested and produced in the court for recording of his statement following the complaint by the girl's parents lodged with Shakarpur police station in east Delhi.

Relatives of the girl gathered at the gate of the courtroom in its previous hearing and shouted slogans against investigating officer Ezaz Ahmed.

They alleged 'partiality' in the probe, saying instead of probing the role of Sabri in the offence, they influenced the girl to depose in his favour.