Kochi: The Kerala High Court reunited Tuesday a lesbian-couple who had been separated by their parents. The parents of both the women did not approve of the relationship. The court allowed the women to live together after one of them moved a habeas corpus petition seeking directions to the police to produce her partner – a Kozhikode native – who had been allegedly taken away by force by her parents from the petitioner’s home.
The court initially asked the police to produce the Kozhikode native before it. When she appeared before the Bench, she said she wanted to live with her petitioner. As both women were adults and wanted to live together, the court allowed their plea.
The petitioner – a native of Ernakulam – had initially taken to social media to draw attention to her same-sex relationship with a schoolmate, their families’ opposition to the same and the subsequent taking away of her partner, allegedly by force, by the latter’s parents.
The petitioner had alleged, in her video posts on social media, that not only has her friend’s family taken her away by force, but the police also have not done anything to bring her back.
However, the police had claimed that it had intervened in the matter right from the start and that the other woman – the Kozhikode native – had given in writing that she was leaving with her parents willingly. Police had also claimed that it was ready to take whatever steps necessary to protect the rights of the Ernakulam resident who is presently staying away from her parents in a short-stay home. The petitioner had on Monday filed a complaint with Aluva police in this regard.
According to the petitioner’s video posts, the two women met each other in Saudi Arabia when they were studying in class XI in a school there. By class XII, they realised they were both lesbians and that they were in love, said her posts.
When their respective parents found out about their relationship, they lied that they would discontinue it. However, after they returned to India and joined college, they continued with their relationship.
Subsequently, the Ernakulam resident (petitioner) went to Kozhikode to meet her friend. They both then took shelter in a home run by ‘Vanaja Collective’, which claims to work for the welfare of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community.
Thereafter, their parents met them at the home and on the assurances of protection given by the family of the Ernakulam resident, both women went with them.
At her home, her family allegedly blackmailed and emotionally tortured both women and then one day, the mother, sister and some others known to the Kozhikode native came with a petition claiming she had been abducted and was being held against her will, alleged the Ernakulam resident.
They asked the father of the Ernakulam resident to hold her back and forcibly dragged her partner away, said the posts.
