PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 19 -- The Allahabad high court on Saturday ruled that an interfaith couple could not be detained by police due to social tensions arising from their marriage.

"In a democratic country governed by rule of law, the state government and its law-enforcement machinery are expected to use their power to protect the liberty of a citizen and not to succumb to social pressures and curtail the liberty of citizens," observed a division bench comprising justices Salil Kumar Rai and DC Samant.

As per the court's direction, police on Saturday produced an interfaith couple, who were taken into custody when they last appeared before the high court on October 15.

Since there was no order for taking them into custody, the high court term...