Karnataka HC to Indian Army: Stop coming in the way of lovers like khaps do

This story could well be fodder for a sizzling silver screen romance, only the Karnataka High Court nipped the Indian Army’s opposition of two young lovers in the bud. A Bangalore-based major who fell in love with a Sri Lankan student studying in the same city ran into trouble after the defence establishment got suspicious of his and his lover’s motives. In fact, according to a Times of India report the Army ordered an ‘investigation’ into Major Vikas Kumar’s “purpose behind coming in contact with a foreign national”. [caption id=“attachment_509223” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] When Kumar, in order to get married to the 29-year-old Sri Lankan student, tried quitting from the service as the Army rules don’t allow serving officers to marry foreign nationals, his superiors refused to relieve him of his duties citing ‘staff crunch’. That is when he moved court. A bench headed by chief justice Vikramjit Sen at the Karnataka High Court then rapped the Army saying that their bid to stop the lovers from being together is khap panchayat-like. The TOI report says:

Displeased with the arguments of the government counsel, Justice Sen observed: “This is not a khap panchayat, this is the Army.” He also said, “We can’t understand the Army’s stand at all. This is most unfortunate for the man. One of India’s Presidents, also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, was married to a foreigner.” (A reference to K R Narayanan who was married to Ma Tint Tint of Myanmarese origin).

Bollywood, most definitely, should be interested!