Delhi High Court grants Police protection to 23-year-old lesbian woman who escaped matrimonial home, corrective procedures for cure

The Delhi High Court today directed Delhi Police to provide protection to a 23-year-old lesbian woman who had escaped from her matrimonial home after her parents sought to "cure" her using "psychic interventions"..A single-judge Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta also issued notice on the woman's (petitioner) petition seeking protection of her right to equality under Article 14 and right to privacy, autonomy, dignity and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. ..A cease and desist order was also sought with respect to her forceful return and the family's attempts at carrying out any “corrective procedure” for “curing” the petitioner's sexual orientation..The petitioner, who is presently staying in a safe house being run by NGO - Shakti Shalini, stated that despite being fully cognizant of her sexual orientation, her parents forcibly married her to a man in 2019 and coerced her to continue living in a heterosexual relationship..She further informed that the marriage was never consummated and that she even expressed her willingness to her husband to file for divorce as the continuance of their marriage was adversely affecting her mental health and physical well-being..While she was "gradually suffocating" at her matrimonial home and her personality was completely repressed, her parents refused to understand and accept her sexuality, and continued to believe that her sexual orientation was unnatural and an illness that could be “cured", the petitioner asserted. .Fearing for her safety, the petitioner decided to leave her matrimonial home after her mother contacted a religious guru to “cure” the petitioner of her sexual orientation..To evade the dehumanizing rituals and ceremonies, the petitioner ran away from the matrimonial house and approached an NGO, Act Now for Harmony and Democracy, she submitted. .The petitioner further informed that the Police, however, "leaked" information regarding her escape and contact details of the activists of the NGO to her father and other family members, jeopardising her own safety and subjecting the NGO to harassment and intimidation from the family members. .The family members of the petitioner even threatened to lodge cases against the social activists, it was added. .In view of the above, the Court clarified that the petitioner was free to shift to a different location under the protection of the Delhi Police..Police was also asked to ensure that none of the NGO members were harassed or harmed for helping the petitioner..The petitioner was represented by Advocate Vrinda Grover. Delhi Police was represented by Standing Counsel Rahul Mehra..The matter would be heard next on 25 March.