Don’t interfere in adult marriages; SC warns ‘Khap panchayats’

New Delhi, March 27: During the hearing in the Khap Panchayat petition filed by an NGO, the Supreme Court has issued guidelines deeming 'any assembly intended to scuttle a marriage of two consenting adults' as 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 Supreme Court ruling came on a plea filed 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.

‘Khap’ panchayats are caste or community groups, present largely in rural areas of north India which at times act as quasi-judicial bodies and pronounce harsh punishments based on age-old customs. Several cases of women and men falling victim to ‘khap’ diktats have been reported over the years, particularly in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.