MANAMADATHIL SANKARA NARAYANAN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner has come to this Court with this petition for issue of a writ of habeas corpus to search for, trace and produce his daughter `Nitha', a young woman aged above 23 years (date of birth - 28/6/87). She has already passed Teachers Training Course. She is a student of the final year degree course. Her marriage was scheduled to take place on 26/1/11. An engagement ceremony was performed on 7/11/10. But the alleged detenue was found missing from 6/12/10. THE petitioner apprehended that the alleged detenue is being illegally detained by the 5th respondent in active collusion with his father the 6th respondent. THE 6th respondent and the petitioner are neighbours. As the attempts made directly and through police to trace the alleged detenue did not succeed, the petitioner came to this Court with this petition on 13/12/10.

(2.) THIS petition was admitted on 14/12/10 and notice was ordered to the respondents.

(3.) AFTER the lunch recess, we interacted with the alleged detenue alone initially. Later, we interacted with her in the presence of the 5th respondent. The petitioner and his brother, the 6th respondent and other relatives of the 6th respondent as also the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned counsel for the 6th respondent and the learned Government Pleader were present.