New Delhi, Aug. 19 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) against a 2022 judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which held that a 16-year-old Muslim girl can enter into a valid marriage with a Muslim man and granted protection to the couple from threats.

A bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan observed that the NCPCR was a stranger to the litigation and had no locus standi to challenge the High Court's judgment.

The bench said, "NCPCR has no locus to challenge such an order... if two minor children are protected by the High Court, how can NCPCR challenge such an order.... It is strange that the NCPCR, which is for protectin...