A major has the absolute right to choose their life partner, and any attempt by parents to illegally confine them or restrict their communication to prevent such a marriage is an infringement of personal liberty.

The Court made the following:

THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE CHEEKATI MANAVENDRANATH ROY AND THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE TUHIN KUMAR GEDELA

WRIT PETITION No.9221 of 2026

O R D E R:

(Per Hon’ble Sri Justice Cheekati Manavendranath Roy)

1. This writ petition for habeas corpus under Article 226 of the Constitution of India is filed seeking direction to the respondent-police officials to produce the 5th respondent by name Kranthi Guribilli (hereinafter referred to as ‘corpus’), aged about 23 years, who is alleged to have been illegally confined by her father, before the Court and to set her at liberty.

2. Heard Mr. D. Purna Chandra Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioner, and learned Assistant Government Pleader attached to the office of the learned Advocate General appearing for the official respondents 1 to 4.

3. The corpus by name Kranthi Guribilli is a major, aged about 23 years at present. She is an employee working as Software Engineer in Bangalore. The petitioner is also an employee working as Software Engineer in Hyderabad. Both of them studied in AP IIIT, Srikakulam and at that time they got acquaintance with each other. They both loved each other and they have decided to marry each other. However, the parents of the corpus did not agree for the marriage of the corpus and the petitioner. As the petitioner and the corpus belong to two different castes, it is not acceptable to the parents of the corpus to perform their marriage. The parents of the petitioner accepted their love proposal and agreed to perform their marriage.

4. After knowing about the love affair of the petitioner and the corpus, the parents of the corpus brought her back from Bangalore to their village and kept her in their house. It is alleged that they are preventing the corpus from using her mobile phone and laptop to have any communication with the petitioner. The corpus has sent certain messages, which are placed on record along with the material papers of the writ petition, to the petitioner alleging that she is confined in the house of her parents and they are not accepting for her proposal to marry the petitioner. Therefore, based on the said messages sent by the corpus to the petitioner, alleging that she has been illegally confined by her parents in their house, the present writ petition for habeas corpus is filed seeking direction to the police to produce the corpus before the Court and to set her at liberty.

5. When the matter came up for admission before this Court on 08.04.2026, we have directed the 4th respondent – Station House Officer of Gollaprolu Police Station to produce the corpus before the Court today to interact with her and to ascertain the truth of the matter.

6. Accordingly, pursuant to the direction given by the Court, the corpus is produced before the Court today.

7. We have interacted with the corpus in the open Court as well as in our chamber in isolation. She has clearly and unequivocally stated that she loved the petitioner when they were studying in AP IIIT, Srikakulam, and that the petitioner has proposed to marry her and she has accepted the said proposal and that she tried to convince her parents and that they did not agree for her marriage with the petitioner as they belong to two different castes and particularly, as she belongs to OC community and the petitioner belongs to BC community, her parents are not agreeing for their marriage. She has clearly stated that she does not want to marry any other person except the petitioner.

8. We have called the parent