Chandigarh: Kuldeep Gupta, a 21-year-old from Chandigarh, has been ordered to start a fixed deposit of Rs 3 lakh in the name of his wife by the end of this year by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
While it may seem like a strange diktat at first, it was done because nearly 20-30 runaway couples approach the HC everyday seeking police protection. The FDs has been made a requirement for providing protection and also helps ensure financial security, says the advocate who represented Kuldeep.
But Kuldeep claims he never approached the court for protection. All he wanted was a marriage certificate after he married Indu against the wishes of his parents. “Though my family was initially against our marriage, they later accepted it,” he says.
“It was my mother-in-law who came to the court and filed the case,” he adds.
A salesman at a departmental store, he says he earns only Rs 9,000 per month and depositing such a large amount is not possible for him.
“I don’t know why the court wants something like this from a poor man like me. I was shocked to hear about the amount of Rs 3 lakh. I earn just Rs 9000 per month. How can I save Rs 3 lakh in a year to start an FD for my wife?” he asks.
Kuldeep’s advocate Varinder Chibbar says that while the HC has taken the decision keeping Indu’s future in mind, it is difficult for Kuldeep to save Rs 3lakh.
“Though they haven’t imposed any condition of not providing protection unless the FD doesn’t get started but I don’t think Kuldeep can start the FD even after a year,” he says.
Kuldeep says that all his savings got exhausted in setting the house after marriage. With Rs 9,000 a month, the couple pays its rent and other basic expenditure.
Justice PB Bajanthari has passed similar directions in at least four cases since July 27. Through a series of orders, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has started directing husbands in runaway marriages to create fixed deposits in the name of their wives.
Sharing another similar case, Chibbar says, “In 2014, a Fatehgarh Sahib couple who asked for protection was told to create FD of Rs 2 lakh in wife’s name. Along with this, a condition was imposed that the protection will only be provided after the husband opens FD for wife. During that time, he opened the FD but when the wife got pregnant, the couple approached the court to pass an order for releasing FD as they wanted money at that time.”
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