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Gujarat HC grants girl’s custody to female friend given their desire to stay together

In a case where two girls approached the Gujarat High Court through a Habeas Corpus petition expressing their desire to live with each other, the judges granted one of the girls’ custody rights over her friend. The Muslim girl from Ahmedabad alleged being sexual harassed and intimidated by her family, after which she had moved into the shelter home where she met the other petitioner who was Hindu. The shelter home staff had objected to the latter girl bringing her gifts, so the two filed a habeas corpus petition with the Gujarat High Court to get the Ahmedabad girl released. Laudably, the judges placed priority on the fact that the girls were adults of sound mind and thus free to decide on their own.

Citation: Charmiben Gajanandbhai Vyas vs State of Gujrat, Special Criminal Application (Habeas Corpus) no. 9851 of 2016