Archive · 1 Dec 2025
Allahabad HC Frees Woman Held in Protection Home
The Allahabad High Court recently made a big decision.
A woman named Saniya, who was being kept in a protection home, was freed by the court.
The court said that Saniya is an adult and has the right to choose where she wants to live.
The police had taken her into custody, but the court said that was wrong because they used a term 'kabza police' which is used for taking possession of property, not people.
The court also said that the police should not treat people like objects.
Saniya told the court she wants to live with her husband, Vikas.
The court agreed and said she is free to go wherever she wants.
The Allahabad High Court ordered the immediate release of Saniya, recognizing her as a major entitled to decide her residence.
The court criticized the police for using the term 'kabza police' to describe taking possession of a human being, comparing it to the historical case of Dred Scott v. Sandford.
Saniya's age was assessed as around 18 years based on medical reports, overriding school records that suggested she was a minor.
The court held that an Aadhaar-linked entry in school records could not be treated as reliable evidence under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Saniya expressed her wish to live with Vikas, and the court directed her immediate release, allowing her to go with him.
- Who
- Saniya, a woman from Muzaffarnagar, and Vikas alias Ramkishan, her husband.
- What
- The Allahabad High Court ordered the immediate release of Saniya, who was held in a protection home, recognizing her as a major entitled to decide her residence.
- When
- The order was passed on November 28, 2025, with the medical assessment of her age conducted in September 2025.
- Where
- The case was heard in the Allahabad High Court, involving incidents in Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur.
- Why
- The court found that Saniya was a major based on medical reports and that the police had incorrectly taken her into custody despite a stay on her arrest.
- Court
- Allahabad High Court
- Date of Order
- November 28, 2025
- Petitioner
- Vikas alias Ramkishan
- Respondent
- Saniya, daughter of Muneer
- Age Assessment
- Around 18 years
- Location
- Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur
- Key Legal Issue
- Age determination and right to choose residence
- Terminology Issue
- Use of 'kabza police' for human possession