Allahabad HC Directs UP Police Not to Interfere in Consenting Marriages

A Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court issued strict directives to Uttar Pradesh police, ruling that law enforcement agencies must not act as nosy parkers in the personal lives and marriages of consenting adults. The court emphasized that the primary statutory mandate of the police is to investigate crimes, not scrutinize matrimonial choices.

The ruling came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by an adult married couple seeking protection from police harassment initiated on a complaint by the woman's family. The High Court imposed monetary penalties on negligent police officers and the petitioner's family for violating established constitutional liberties governing personal autonomy and choice.

Citing landmark Supreme Court judgments including K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) on privacy and Lata Singh v. State of UP (2006) on inter-caste/inter-faith marriages, the court reaffirmed that Article 21 guarantees the right to marry a person of one's choice as an integral component of personal liberty and human dignity.

This case is fundamental for Indian Polity & Constitution (GS Paper II). It provides direct case law citations for questions regarding Article 21, fundamental rights, police reforms, judicial enforcement of individual liberties, and executive overreach.