Kerala HC Orders Police Protection for Viral Kumbh Mela Girl
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has directed the police to provide protection to the young girl who rose to fame during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and whose husband is currently facing charges of kidnapping her. The High Court’s decision came on the girl’s plea to the state government and the SHO of Ernakulam Central police station seeking directions for protection of her life.
“After hearing the counsel for the petitioner (the girl) and the government counsel, I am prima facie convinced that the life of the petitioner must be protected.
“Accordingly, a direction shall be issued to the second respondent (SHO) to provide adequate protection to the life of the petitioner pending disposal of the writ petition,” the court said.
It also notified the state government and the SHO and listed the matter on July 10.
Another bench of the Supreme Court had said earlier this month that the girl prima facie appeared to be a major and granted one-month transit bail to her husband so that he could seek anticipatory bail in the Madhya Pradesh court in a kidnapping case filed against her.
The girl’s husband, Mohd Farman, is accused of kidnapping the girl in a case registered by the Madhya Pradesh police following a complaint by her father, who claimed that she was a minor.
The Indore girl with a charming smile and beautiful eyes rose to fame after a virtual creator shared a video of herself selling rudraksh garlands at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, last year.
Despite her family’s objections, she married the man in Kerala in the presence of CPI(M) senior leaders.
However, her family later claimed that she was a minor, which led to Farman being arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police for various offenses, including kidnapping, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
