A 16-year-old girl has approached the Supreme Court seeking to cancel her child marriage, stating she “wants to study.” She urged the court to protect her right to education and personal freedom.
A 16-year-old girl from Bihar approached the Supreme Court through her best friend, seeking cancellation of her forced marriage under the Child Marriage Prohibition Act, 2006.
The teenager, who recently completed her Class 10 Board exams, has asked the court for protection from her family and husband. Her friend, Saurabh Kumar, filed the petition on her behalf and is currently facing an FIR for kidnapping her.
16-year-old girl has approached the Supreme Court seeking to end her child marriage, saying she wants to study.
However, the minor asserts that Kumar assisted her in escaping from an abusive marriage. She reportedly faces threats to her life for opposing her coerced marriage.
The plea indicates that her husband has been personally pursuing the case and has made statements in Madhopur village threatening her life, claiming he would not hesitate to go to jail after killing her.
Her plea reads,
“The Petitioner is presently on the run with a friend (Saurabh Kumar) and fears they would be killed if they returned back to Bihar or were apprehended in the hunt launched for them,”
The plea seeks protection from any coercive actions by the police until the matter is resolved legally.
Also Read: Prevention of Child Marriage in Rajasthan, HC Issued Directives
According to the petition, the girl’s parents forced her into marriage on December 9, 2024, with a man aged approximately 32-33. She was sent off immediately after the wedding, despite her upcoming exams, under the pretense that she could return two days later.
However, her in-laws prevented her from going back, insisting that they had invested heavily in the marriage and wanted her to have a baby.
Her husband, a civil contractor, allegedly claimed that the girl’s parents owed them money, and she would have to stay in the marriage instead of pursuing her dreams of becoming a teacher or lawyer. The plea states that he physically abused her daily for resisting his advances.
She endured severe mental and physical abuse until the second week of January 2025 when her maternal uncle intervened, allowing her to return home.
Upon confiding in her mother about the abuse and her desire to continue her studies, she received no support. On March 31, 2025, she left home and sought help from Saurabh Kumar, who agreed to assist her after much persuasion.
They initially went to Varanasi but have been on the run since their location was discovered.
Additionally, her mother, Pammi Devi, filed an FIR on April 2025 at the Piplawa Naubatpur police station in Patna, concealing the fact that her daughter was married.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
