Don’t break ties with parents: Madhya Pradesh High Court advice to woman

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently issued an advisory to a woman residing in Mumbai, cautioning her against severing her familial bonds with her parents. The court dismissed a petition aimed at compelling her to appear before it following her disclosure that she had migrated voluntarily to Mumbai and had secured employment there, of her own volition.

The bench comprising Justices G S Ahluwalia and Anuradha Shukla granted the woman the freedom to govern her life as per her choices, after she affirmed that she was not subjected to illegal confinement and was lawfully residing in Mumbai. The court emphasized that she should not sever ties completely with her parents and should not be hesitant to reach out to them during times of vulnerability or when their assistance was needed.

The case involved a writ petition brought by the woman against her own voluntary relocation to Mumbai, arguing that she must be produced before the court. The counsel for the state had initially sought her production, claiming she was entitled, as an adult, to independently determine her residence, education, profession, social connections, personal relationships, and marital future, subject to the law.

However, the petition was dismissed when the woman clarified that she had moved to Mumbai voluntarily, was employed there, and was not in illegal confinement.

Further, the woman’s father testified that she was undergoing treatment for schizophrenia, suggesting that she should continue with her medical care even if she did not wish to return home. The woman rebutted this by stating she had consulted a psychiatrist, who informed her that she was not suffering from schizophrenia, but required a court order for a mental condition evaluation.

She promised to undergo treatment if necessary and assured the court that she would make any future decision to return to her parents independently.

The court acknowledged her statement that she was living in Mumbai of her own free will and was not under illegal confinement, concluding that there was no legal basis to proceed with the petition. The court reiterated its advice to the woman, granting her liberty to live her life as per her wishes, and dismissed the petition.