On April 4, 2025, the Allahabad High Court ruled that couples who marry against their parents’ wishes cannot claim police protection as a matter of right unless there is a genuine threat to their life or liberty.
Justice Saurabh Srivastava made this observation while dismissing a writ petition filed by Shreya Kesarwani and her husband. The couple sought police protection and a directive to prevent their families from interfering in their marital life. The court noted that there was no evidence indicating any serious threat from their relatives. It emphasized that couples must “learn to support each other and face society” unless a real threat exists .
The court referenced the Supreme Court’s judgment in Lata Singh vs State of UP, highlighting that courts are not obligated to provide protection to individuals who marry of their own volition without any substantiated threats .
However, the High Court clarified that if any person misbehaves with or harms such couples, police authorities and courts are available to offer necessary support. In this case, since no serious threat perception could be established, the writ petition was dismissed .
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