HC slaps Rs 1 lakh cost on Haryana man with 10 kids who sought security as ‘runaway couple’

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court has imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on a Muslim man from Haryana's Mewat area, and father of 10 children, who sought protection as a "lovelorn runaway couple" after claiming marriage to a woman 20 years his junior.

The court levied this cost after observing discrepancies in the identity documents of the young woman he claimed to have married and on finding no substantial evidence to support his claims of threat from the son from his first marriage and other family members, and where these were issued.

Justice Alok Jain has passed these orders while dismissing a petition filed by a couple from Mewat, see king directions to protect their life and liberty.

They claimed to have married on Sep 25 and had cited a threat from the son and brother of the male petitioner, who had turned house. During hearing of the petition, the bench noticed ‘abnormalities’ in documents, especially the Aadhaar card of the woman petitioner attached with the plea, which was dark, and this appeared to be “a purposeful act to conceal her identity”.

HC finds discrepancy in petitioner’s income claim
When asked about the income of the male petitioner, the counsel for the petitioners submitted that he owned 40 acres of land. However, in the petition, it was submitted that he is a mechanic and earns Rs 55,000.

Dismissing the petition while imposing a cost of Rs 1 lakh, the bench ordered: "Apparently the petitioner no. 2 (male petitioner) is having 10 children from his first marriage and now has got married to a girl who is 20 years younger to him... There seems to be a cover-up or an abuse of process of law for some ulterior motive.”

In its order released last week, the bench has directed the petitioners to deposit the cost in the Poor Patients Welfare Fund, PGIMER, Chandigarh within a month.
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