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 termed this custody 'illegal detention' and directed that the interfaith couple be released forthwith," the court said. "The girl was major and her custody could not have been taken by the police or her father. Apparently, the custody of the parties by the police was illegal and violated the fundamental rights of the girl and first petitioner (man) under the Constitution of India," the court observed. The high court further directed that the couple be set at liberty and allowed the woman to go with the man wherever she wished. The HC also directed the investigation officer of Akrabad police station (Aligarh), who produced the interfaith couple before the court on Saturday to ensure that both were escorted safely to the place where they wanted to go. The present writ petition was filed by the interfaith couple for quashing the FIR registered on September 27, 2025, at the Akrabad police station in Aligarh by the woman's father. Earlier, on October 17, the high court had directed police to produce the interfaith couple after it was informed that they were "abducted" by the father of the woman and police after they left the high court on October 15....