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Anita Yadav vs Manas Roy & Ors

Supreme Court12 May 2009Cyriac Joseph · Altamas Kabir

Ratio decidendi

The rule this decision rests on

Once a person subject to a Habeas Corpus petition appears before the court and makes known their personal preference regarding their custody or residence, and files an affidavit supporting that preference, the court cannot issue further directions requiring them to appear again on allegations relating to matters such as marriage that do not go to the question of their liberty or personal freedom.

Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.

Judgment

As delivered

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIACRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL Nos.1010-1011 OF 2009[Arising out of SLP(Crl.) Nos.6700-6701 of 2007]

ANITA YADAV ... Appellant(s)

Versus

MANAS ROY & ORS. ... Respondent(s)

ORDER

Leave granted.

These appeals are directed against the orders dated 16 th July, 2007 and

17th September, 2007 passed by the Delhi High Court in Writ Petition(Crl.)651/2007,

which was a Habeas Corpus petition. Pursuant to notice served on the father of the

appellant herein, the appellant appeared before the High Court in the Habeas Corpus

proceedings and personally informed the court that she was not willing to go back to

the respondent No.1 herein and that she wished to stay with her parents.

At that point of time, the parties in the Habeas Corpus petition were

served and there was no further reason

-2-

to continue to proceed with the writ petition. However, despite the above, the High

Court on 17th September, 2007 directed the father of the appellant to be present along with the appellant before the court on certain allegations made by the respondent No.1

herein that she was married to him.

We fail to understand how in a Habeas Corpus petition, such a direction

could have been given since the appellant had already appeared and had made her

preference known and had also filed an affidavit in which the case of the appellant

was supported.

In that view of the matter, the appeals are allowed and the impugned

orders of the High Court are set aside.

...................J. (ALTAMAS KABIR)

...................J. (CYRIAC JOSEPH)

New Delhi, May 12, 2009.

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