After the age of 16, a Muslim girl can marry a person of her choice. The Punjab and Haryana high court gave a similar verdict in a case on Monday. According to the court, a Muslim girl above the age of 16 years can get involved in a marital relationship with a person of her choice.
Recently, in Pathankot, a 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl got married at the behest of the family. But the couple approached the court seeking security, alleging that the family wanted to separate them. The case was heard in the Punjab and Haryana High Courts on Monday. Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi said, "The petitioners (couples) cannot be deprived of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution just because they have married against the wishes of their families."
Justice Bedi then referred to sharia law and said the marriage of a Muslim girl is governed by 'Muslim personal law'. The judge said that as per section 195 of Sir Dinshah Fardunji Mollah's book 'Principles of Mohamedan Law', a girl above the age of 16 years can marry a person of her choice. And since the groom's age is also more than 21 years, there can be no obstacle in this marriage. After this, the judge entrusted the security of the couple to the Pathankot police administration.
