Bombay HC rejects woman's plea to tie the knot with married policeman

The Bombay High Court has turned down the plea of a woman, who prayed for a direction to allow her to tie the know with a married police officer.

Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Sadhana Jadhav refused to entertain the petition filed by Rajashree Marde on the ground that the officer, Prashant Marde, was already married with two children and hence such a request could not be granted.

When the court expressed its inability to grant such relief, the petitioner contended that she had filed several such petitions in the past seeking the said direction.

According to the petitioner, she considered herself to be Marde's wife. She claimed that relation between Prashant Marde and herself was that of husband and wife. Hence she was seeking a direction that the court shall intervene and facilitate the marriage between Prashant and herself.

The court apprised her of the fact that Prashant was a married man having two children and had a happy family of his own.

Therefore, she should not disturb the peace of his family. However, the petitioner insisted that she had a right to get married to him and sought direction accordingly.

The bench further apprised the petitioner of the fact that there was no provision in law under which the court was empowered to issue the directions sought for by her.

At this stage, she requested the court to exercise the extraordinary jurisdiction in the interest of her family and bestow upon her status of a wife of Prashant Marde.

However, the judges expressed their inability to do so and dismissed her petition.

The petitioner had written a letter in this regard on January 31, 2013 to the High Court which was converted into a criminal writ petition.

Earlier, hearing another criminal writ petition filed by the petitioner, other bench of the High Court had called for a report from the Police Commissioner in respect of her grievances.

In that report, it was recorded that the petitioner desired to get married with the said police officer, who is already married and had two children.

It was further noted in the report that as a result of the conduct of the petitioner, the police officer was under enormous stress.

According to the petitioner, she had wasted 14 years of her life waiting to get married. As she wants to get married with the said police officer, the petitioner said she was seeking a direction from the court in that behalf.

However, the court said it could not grant such a relief as there was no provision in law to do so.