New Delhi: In a relief to inter-faith or inter-caste couples who often face threat to their lives due to their relationship, the Supreme Court on Tuesday banned any interference by illegal assemblies like ‘khap panchayats’ into their marriages, terming the intrusions as “absolutely illegal”.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud also laid down guidelines to prevent such interferences and said the norms laid down by it would remain in force till a suitable legislation is enacted by the Parliament.
The ruling came on a plea by NGO Shakti Vahini, which had moved the apex court in 2010 seeking protection of couples from honour killings.
While reserving its verdict in March this year, the court had observed that when two consenting adults get married irrespective of their background, no relative or a third person can interfere or threaten or unleash violence against them.
