Kerala HC orders police protection for viral kumbh mela girl

The Kerala High Court has ordered police protection for an Indore woman who went viral at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela. The order follows a cross-border legal battle after her marriage in Kerala, which her family claims involves a minor

Kochi: Kerala High Court has directed the police to provide protection to the young girl who shot to fame during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and whose husband is now facing charges of kidnapping her.

The High Court’s order came on the girl’s plea seeking directions to the state government and the SHO of the Ernakulam Central police station to safeguard her life.

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“Having heard the counsel for the petitioner (girl) as well as the government pleader, I am, prima facie, satisfied that the petitioner ought to be afforded protection for her life.

“Accordingly, there will be a direction 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 issued notice to the state government and the SHO and listed the matter on July 10.

Another bench of the High Court had earlier this month said that the girl prima facie appears to be a major and granted transit bail of one month to her husband so that he can move a Madhya Pradesh court to seek anticipatory bail in a kidnapping case against him.

The girl’s husband, Mohd Farman, is accused of kidnapping her in a case registered by Madhya Pradesh police based on a complaint filed by her father, who has claimed that she is a minor.

With a captivating smile and beautiful eyes, the Indore girl had shot to fame after a virtual content creator shared a video of her selling rudraksh garlands at Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh last year.

She married the man in Kerala, in the presence of senior CPI(M) leaders, despite her family’s opposition.

However, her family later claimed that she was a minor, leading to Farman being booked by Madhya Pradesh police for various offences, 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.