High Court made this comment while hearing a case, it is a matter of debate
Amar Ujala Bureau.
New Delhi. The High Court has made special comments regarding teenage love. The court has said that he falls in a legal gray area, in which it is difficult to decide whether a crime has been committed or not. There should be a debate on whether it should be kept in the category of crime or not. The court said that many such cases are being seen in which girls above 17 years of age run away with boys of their choice. When she is caught, her parents force her to change her statement to the police. Justice Subramaniam Prasad said that the police also record such statements later, which are completely different from the statements given earlier. Most of the statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC also do not match with the earlier statements of the victim under Section 161 CrPC, which are contradictory. The court said this while granting bail to a 22-year-old accused in a POCSO case.
The father of the 17-year-old girl had lodged an FIR in the matter. It was alleged that the accused misled his daughter and took it with himself. Both were found in March 2022. The girl said in her statement that she had gone to her friend’s house after telling her mother. Here he had called the accused to meet him. After this both of them went to Madhya Pradesh. Started living in a rented house there. He also said that after staying there for 15 days they went to Patna. When she learned that her father had filed a case, both of them took a train to New Delhi and called the police.
After 23 days the girl gave another statement
After 23 days the girl gave another statement. In this she said that the accused told her that his parents were looking for him. If she went back to her home, they would kill her. She said that the accused took her to Madhya Pradesh. It further said that his father and uncle came to Madhya Pradesh. They took him to Bihar. There they took him hostage and gagged him. It was also said that fake documents had been prepared for her court marriage. She had refused to marry the accused citing that she was a minor. According to the statement, the accused’s relatives beat her up and got them married.
Love and crime during adolescence fall into legal gray area: Court
The court found that there had been changes in the girl’s second statement, which was recorded 23 days after her first statement. It said that though she had gone to Madhya Pradesh with the accused of her own free will, she was held hostage in Bihar and forced to marry him. The court said that teenage love and such crimes fall in a legally gray area. It is debatable whether this can actually be classified as a crime.
