Newlyweds move HC for protection, get fined Rs 10,000 for not wearing masks during ceremony

Punjab & Haryana HC tells Gurdaspur police to ensure no harm is caused to life and liberty of the couple by their family members who were against the marriage.

Representational image of an Indian wedding | Pexels

New Delhi: A newlywed couple who had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking protection after they married against their family’s wishes ended up being fined Rs 10,000 as the court observed they weren’t wearing masks during the wedding.

The order was passed by Justice Hari Pal Verma Tuesday when the judge, who was presented the photos of the wedding ceremony as proof, noticed that the couple and their guests weren’t wearing protective masks during the ceremony.

“Perusal of the photographs attached with the petition, Annexure P-4, shows that at the time of the marriage ceremony, the petitioners and other attending persons were not wearing the masks, which is otherwise necessary in view of COVID-19 pandemic,” the court said.

It therefore imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on them, asking the couple to deposit it with the deputy commissioner of Hoshiarpur within 15 days. This money, the court said, “shall be utilised for the purpose of arranging masks for the public at large within the District Hoshiarpur”.

Court asks police to ensure safety of couple 

The couple got married during the nationwide lockdown, imposed in light of Covid-19 pandemic, against their families’ wishes and had filed a petition seeking protection from their respective families who did not approve of the match.

According to the court order, the family members were “not accepting their marriage and are adamant to separate them from each other by resorting to illegal means”. Both the groom and the bride are adults.

While imposing the fine, the court noted that they had approached the Gurdaspur senior superintendent of police on 23 May with the same request. The court asked the SSP to take appropriate measures on the basis of this request.

“In the meantime, necessary order be passed to ensure that no harm is caused to the life and liberty of the petitioners at the hands of private respondents,” it ordered.