Date:16/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/16/stories/2006111619300400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court dismisses State plea

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: A Division Bench, comprising Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Billappa, of the High Court on Monday held that no case of kidnap would lie when a girl was at the age of discretion (when she could make her own decisions) and when evidence showed she had voluntarily gone out of the care of her parents. The Bench, citing the Supreme Court judgments of 1965 and 1995, said even if the girl was a minor, no case of kidnap could be levelled if she went away from her parents of her own will. The Bench dismissed a State appeal against the acquittal of the boyfriend of the teenaged girl and observed no purpose would be served in raking up the issue as the parties were married.