Manoj Ram, who was jailed for inter-caste marriage, is released
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One and a half months after he was sent to prison on the charge of kidnapping his wife, he was released from prison on the order of the Supreme Court
Manoj Ram of Bishnupur Rural Municipality-6 of Saptari, who was sent to jail for inter-caste love marriage, has received partial justice from the Supreme Court. Manoj, who has been detained in Saptari District Jail for a month and a half on charges of kidnapping his wife, was released on Sunday after the order of the Supreme Court.
After the joint bench of Judges Sushmalata Mathema and Til Prasad Shrestha issued the writ of habeas corpus filed by advocate Shailendra Prasad Harijan on June 8 in Ram’s behalf, he was released from prison. Acting Jail Chief Sadananda Das said Manoj was released in the evening after receiving a letter from the Saptari District Court.
After being released from prison, Manoj responded that he got partial justice. ‘I have received partial justice, full justice is yet to be achieved. “They tried to trap me and my family because of caste discrimination. Thanks to the media and the Supreme Court for supporting my fight for justice,” he said. However, he also said that his family members have not yet received justice.
“My brother is still in prison, my father and one brother had to escape, justice should be given to them too,” he demanded. Saptari District Court Rajviraj had ordered to send Manoj Ram to jail on 24th of June for preliminary investigation in the case of disappearance of person for kidnapping his wife Babita Issar.
Babita’s father Lalit Isar filed a case against Manoj claiming that his daughter was a minor and was abducted to save her from an inter-caste love marriage. Based on the birth certificate submitted by him, District Judge Ramesh Prasad Gyawali ordered to send Manoj to jail. While in the document they submitted while registering their marriage at the Kapilvastu District Court, Babita’s birth certificate was different. Babita had been telling that her father forged her birth certificate and put her husband Manoj in jail. For the first time on June 6, New Newspaper published a ‘cover story’ about this.
Manoj’s wife Babita also expressed her happiness for getting justice from the Supreme Court. “Even if it is late, we have got some justice, there should be no caste discrimination when someone marries someone,” she said. After being in a relationship for three years, Manoj and Babita got married in 079 Kathik. Then last May, he had a ‘court marriage’ at the district court in Kapilvastu. Babita’s date of birth is 16 October 058 in the birth registration certificate submitted to the court during the ‘court marriage’.
While father Lalit, before registering the case, in collusion with Kusheshwar Yadav, Ward Secretary of Agnisign Krishnaswaran Rural Municipality-4, had registered the birth date of Babita on 24 Baisakh 067. However, there was no registration number.
After her husband was sent to prison by the district court, Babita went to the Supreme Court seeking justice by visiting various rights organizations. The Supreme Court issued a show cause order on June 10. After the reply came from the opponents and reached the stage, the case was settled. With the order of the Supreme Court, now Manoj will be able to fight the case outside the jail. The case is pending in Saptari District Court.