Parents can’t disown kids: HC

Parents can’t disown kids: HC
Hyderabad Aug. 6: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday refused to allow parents of a young woman to legally disown her for marrying a person against their wishes. While dealing with a habeas corpus petition filed by Binod Kumar, father of Bibechita, a division bench comprising Justice D.S.R. Verma and Justice D. Appa Rao said that the court had no jurisdiction to pass such orders.
Binod Kumar, a plumber, hails from Orissa and migrated to the city a few years ago. He lives in Anjaiahnagar of Alwal area. He has three children of which Bibechita is the eldest. She disappeared from her house on January 27. After failing to trace her, the deeply worried parents lodged a complaint with Alwal police station the next day.
However, Bibechita appeared before the police on January 31 and informed them that that she had married one Vara Prasad alias Sekhar of her own will and wanted to live with him. She informed the police that she was not a minor since she was born on January 17, 1988. She had been in love with Sekhar for the past four years. Alwal police then closed the case.
Binod Kumar and his wife Banitha Jena then went to State Human Rights Commission to get back their daughter. However, their daughter informed the SHRC that she will live with her husband.After that, the parents approached the HC. Alwal police produced the young woman before the court and Justice Verma asked her to meet her parents. But she refused to do so.
The division bench assured her that they would keep watch as she talked to her parents and would ensure that no harm came to her. After much persuasion, Bibechita spoke to her parents for about 15 minutes. Later she told the court that she wanted to live with the man she loved though she also loved her parents.
But the distraught parents alleged that their daughter was trapped in the love affair and wanted to severe all ties with her. “We are closing our doors on her,” said Binod Kumar. “We don’t want to see her again.” He added that he had another daughter of marriageable age and did not want her to come under the influence of Bibechita. “Kindly pass orders that we disown her.”
He mother also broke down and said she had observed fast in the Chandeswara Temple at their hometown for her daughter’s safe return. “But she has no love for us and she is dead as far as I am concerned,” said Banitha. The judges, however, refused to pass the orders. “You may all come together after a while,” they said.