Caste system ruins country, intercaste marriages important for progress: SC

The Supreme Court today held that intercaste marriages are important and necessary for the progress of the country...

The Supreme Court today held that intercaste marriages are important and necessary for the progress of the country and ordered the police across the nation to take stern action against those who file “false complaints” of kidnapping in such cases.

A bench of Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice Markandeya Katju quashed criminal proceedings against one Brahm Kumar Gupta, whose eloped with Lata Singh and married her. A case of kidnapping was filed by her brothers.

Police filed a closure report, finding that they were legally wedded, but a fast track court rejected the report and sentenced Gupta for the alleged kidnapping. This was challenged in the Supreme Court by his wife.

The Supreme Court quashed the criminal charges and said it was disturbing that in a country which “is getting ruined” by the caste system such cases were being filed.

The court said this “is not in the national interest” and asked police to take stern action against those who use threat and violence against couples who have gone for intercaste marriages. It said: “Intercaste marriages are necessary for the progress of the country.” However, the court’s earlier ruling that an upper-caste Hindu woman “cannot get the SC/ST status just because she marries a man from that community” and “she cannot claim the benefit of reservation” stands.

That ruling was in December, setting aside a Delhi High Court order conferring the benefit of reservation meant for SCs on a forward caste woman married to an SC man. She was contesting a municipal election in a reserved constituency. An earlier decision had also unseated an upper caste MLA who contested from a “reserved seat” after marrying a Dalit.