- The Supreme Court disposed of a matter on Tuesday that it had taken cognizance of on its own, which involved an order from the Allahabad High Court.
- The High Court’s order requested the head of the astrology department at Lucknow University to determine whether an alleged rape victim was ‘manglik’ or not.
- The Supreme Court had a special sitting on June 3 and decided that the matter would be taken up on its merits by the High Court on the already fixed date of June 26.
- The High Court had issued the order on May 23 while considering the bail plea of a man accused of raping the woman under the false promise of marriage.
- The case was heard on Tuesday before a bench of Justices C T Ravikumar and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
- The counsel representing the state and the complainant informed the bench that the bail application had already been dismissed.
- Considering the developments, the Supreme Court stated that no useful purpose would be served by keeping the matter pending and thus disposed of the case.
- During the June 3 hearing, the court questioned the need for an “astrology report” in a bail application.
- The man’s counsel argued before the High Court that the marriage between the two could not be solemnized because the woman was ‘manglik’.
- However, the woman’s counsel insisted before the High Court that she was not ‘manglik’.
- In Hindu astrology, being ‘manglik’ means being born under the influence of the planet Mars, and it is believed to bring affliction known as “mangal dosha.” Superstitious Hindus often believe that marriages between a ‘manglik’ and a non-‘manglik’ are inauspicious and can lead to disaster.
- On June 3, the Supreme Court issued notices to all parties concerned, including the bail applicant, the complainant, and the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- The apex court ordered a stay on the operation and effect of the May 23 order issued by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad (Lucknow Bench).
- The High Court’s May 23 order instructed the Head of the Astrology Department at Lucknow University to determine whether the girl is ‘manglik’ or not. The parties were directed to submit the birth chart (kundali) to the Head of the Astrology Department within ten days. The Head of the Astrology Department was directed to submit a report in a sealed cover to the court within three weeks.
The Supreme Court has resolved a case regarding a High Court order that aimed to determine whether an alleged rape victim is ‘manglik’ or not.
