The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the police to grant protection to an interfaith couple who cited opposition from the woman's mother and some political and religious organisations to their marriage.

Shanu, who runs a hair cutting salon at Bajpur in Udham Singh Nagar district, and Akanksha Kandhari, doing B.com, said in their petition that they are adults and in love. They want to marry each other but are afraid to take the step as Akanksha's mother and certain political and religious organisations are opposing the alliance, they said in the petition.

Hearing their petition on Monday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit directed the Bajpur police station SHO to give protection to the couple for six months. It also asked the police official to assess the situation after six months and take the required steps.

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