Allahabad High Court: In writ petitions filed by eight Hindu-Muslim couples for directing the State authorities not to harass their peaceful matrimonial life and to provide protection of life and liberty to them, Saral Srivastava, J while dismissing their petitions, said that the solemnization of marriage between the petitioners is not in accordance with law, as their marriages were not in compliance with the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
In this case, five Muslim men had married Hindu women and three Hindu men had married Muslim women. The couples, through separate petitions, had approached the Court.
The Court noted that these cases were of interfaith marriage, but the marriages themselves were not in accordance with law as there is no compliance of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. Therefore, it held that the solemnization of marriage between the petitioners is not in accordance with law.
However, the Court allowed the petitioners to prefer fresh writ petition in case they solemnize marriage after following the due procedure of law.
[X v State of UP, 2024 SCC OnLine All 263, Order dated 16-01-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
Counsel for Petitioner: Advocate Pradeep Kumar, Advocate Amitesh Kumar Srivastava
Counsel for Respondent: Chief Standing Counsel