Arrest of Kumbh Mela girl, husband stayed till May 20

Kochi: The high court has restrained the arrest of the viral Kumbh Mela girl and her husband, Moh Farmaan, until May 20, in a case registered in Madhya Pradesh on a complaint by her father alleging that she was underage at the time of her marriage.The bench of Justice Kauser Edappagath issued the interim order in response to an anticipatory bail petition filed by the girl along with her husband, Farmaan. The petitioners contended that the girl's father had lodged a complaint with the sub-divisional officer (Police) at Mandleshwar, Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, alleging that she was underage at the time of her marriage on March 11 and that a case had been registered accordingly. They denied the father's allegation and furnished a copy of her birth certificate issued by the registrar of births and deaths, Maheshwar Nagar panchayat along with a copy of her Aadhaar to counter the claim. They asserted that she was not a minor at the time of her marriage. The petition further stated that they met at a puja ceremony for a new Malayalam film, fell in love and decided to live together. Accordingly, their marriage was solemnised at Sree Nainar Deva Temple at Arumanoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Farmaan alleged that the case was initiated at the instance of the girl's relative, who is acting as her manager in her dealings with film producers. He claimed that person is intent on securing her custody to enter into more contracts with prominent producers in her name. During the previous hearing on March 23, the bench had issued an interim order preventing the arrest of the petitioners and adjourned the case while issuing a notice to the state police chief of Madhya Pradesh. On April 8, the senior public prosecutor submitted that the DGP of Madhya Pradesh has not given any instructions. Accordingly, the bench extended the interim order restraining the arrest of the petitioners and adjourned the case to May 20.