Court Orders Return of Hindu Minor to Family After Judicial Hearing

Following her rescue, Ritu appeared before a judicial magistrate on Monday. The magistrate questioned whether she should be placed in a government shelter for women, Dar‑ul‑Aman, or returned to her parents.

Ritu’s legal counsel, Asad Jamal and Kheta Ram, argued that the girl expressed a clear desire to reunite with her brother, who was present in the courtroom. The magistrate swore her in and recorded a statement in which Ritu affirmed her wish to stay with her family.

Based on the testimony, the magistrate ordered that Ritu be handed over to her brother’s safe custody and escorted back to her home in Sanghar. The decision marks a notable judicial acknowledgment of a minor’s right to family reunification.

The ruling has been cited as a precedent for future cases involving alleged forced conversions and marriages of minority youths.