Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has said that the marriage of a 56-year-old advocate with a minor girl was valid after she expressed her willingness to live with him after turning 18.

A division bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said this in its judgement last week while hearing a petition filed by the advocate seeking to quash a rape case lodged against him for marrying a 14-year-old girl.

The complainant, who is now 18 years’ old, got “married” to the advocate, then aged 52, in 2014.

In her complaint, she alleged that she was forced into the marriage by her grandparents.

The advocate was subsequently in judicial custody for around 10 months and then released on bail.

The girl turned 18 on September 17, 2018, after which the advocate moved HC, seeking quashing of the case.

The woman last week filed an affidavit in the HC saying she has settled the dispute and wants to now cohabit with her husband and hence, has no objection for the case to be quashed.

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamat Pai opposed the petition, saying quashing such a case would set a bad precedent and send a wrong signal to the public at large.

The bench, in its order of May 2, however, noted that it was concerned about the woman’s welfare.

Courtesy: PTI