In a brief but telling hearing the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf closed a habeas corpus petition after confirming that the young woman at the centre of the dispute had left home out of her “own free will” and wished no further interference from authorities
Background
The petition, filed by Sandeep Choudhary, sought production of the woman referred to as the “corpus” in legal terminology claiming she had been unlawfully restrained. Police brought her from the One Stop Centre in Jabalpur, accompanied by Sub-Inspector Sunil Tantvay and Constable Varsha Saini. Her parents also appeared and submitted several documents, including her Higher Secondary marksheet and Aadhaar card, to establish her age and identity.
Once produced, the Court personally interacted with her, as is standard practice in habeas matters. The woman stated clearly that she was a major and that she had left her parental residence voluntarily. She added that some of her personal documents were still with her parents, prompting the bench to ensure that the original marksheet and Aadhaar card were immediately handed back to her.
Court’s Observations
During the short interaction, the bench appeared satisfied that the woman was acting independently, without coercion. At one point, the Chief Justice remarked,
“She has stated that she left her home of her own free will,” signalling that the Court saw no sign of force or wrongful confinement.
For lay readers, a habeas corpus petition is a remedy used when someone alleges that a person is being illegally detained. But when the Court finds that the person is an adult acting voluntarily, the petition essentially becomes infructuous.
The judges also noted that since she did not wish to return to her parents’ home, the Court could not compel her to do so. As one courtroom observer commented informally afterwards,
“The bench handled it in a very matter-of-fact way no drama, just clarity.”
Decision
Finding no illegal detention and observing that the woman was a major who expressly chose not to go back with her parents, the bench concluded that “no further orders are called for.” The habeas corpus petition was accordingly disposed of then and there, bringing the matter to a close.
Case Title:- Sandeep Choudhary v. Superintendent of Police & Others
Case Number:- Writ Petition No. 43434 of 2025
