The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the Delhi government to take steps to bring back a minor girl who was taken to Nepal by a man after allegedly marrying her despite being already married.
“The State is, therefore, directed to take steps to get back the minor, and prosecute [Vinay] at the earliest. The State shall initiate steps in coordination with Ministry of External Affairs, without any delay,” a Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar said.
The court’s order came on a habeas corpus plea moved by the girl’s mother who had alleged that no satisfactory action was taken by the police after registration of the FIR on March 1.
The High Court also noted that “considering the fact that the petitioner’s daughter is a minor, and evidently, [Vinay] is already married, it appears that the case involves several crimes of which he [Vinay] may be guilty”.
In the status report filed by the Delhi police, it was stated that on May 25, Mr. Vinay’s brother Vinod Thapa disclosed that he had on May 10 received a telephonic communication from his aunt from Nepal and was told that Mr. Vinay had gone to his village Gulmi, PS Tambas, Char Pala, Nepal, along with a girl and that he claimed that he had solemnised marriage with that girl.
The report further stated that Mr. Vinay had sent a photo to Mr. Vinod on WhatsApp and the same was shown to the mother who claimed that girl in it was her daughter.
The police said that to get the victim back in India and to prosecute Mr. Vinay, a correspondence will be made at the earliest through the External Affairs Ministry.