HISAR: An unmarried lesbian couple has been granted police protection after the duo approached a local court in Sirsa alleging criminal intimidation from families. They have been moved to a police safe house.The two women — a 23-year-old security guard at a private hospital and a 21-year-old beautician — were employed in Gurugram and became friends on an online portal. They decided to live together but are not married.On March 5, the 21-year-old left her parents’ home without telling them. Her father, in Sirsa, filed a missing persons complaint and claimed she had disappeared under suspicious circumstances.The woman eventually surrendered at a Dabwali court, claiming “she did not feel safe in Sirsa”. She told the duty magistrate that she had left home voluntarily and wanted to live with her 23-year-old partner.Her counsel suggested that they be put under police protection, as is done for couples following the precedent of ‘Asha and another versus State of Haryana and others’ case. However, her parents’ counsel argued that such a move is only made in case of of couples who have married against their parents wishes, and the two women could approach the high court for further redress.On hearing all arguments, the ADJ observed that the directions given by the Punjab and Haryana high court in Asha and another’s case (Supra) are for runaway couples, though in this case there was no averment of marriage between petitioners. “But they apprehend danger to their lives by the family members... The prime concern of this court is only to protect their lives.... In view of this fact, they are ordered to be kept in Protection Home, Sirsa and be produced on 25.03.2019....,” the court said.The court will decide in the next hearing whether it would consider the petition as maintainable and whether protection can be given to the couple as per the law laid down by HC in the Asha case.They were taken to a police safe house following Sirsa additional district and sessions judge Dr RN Bharti’s order on Wednesday.

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