Calcutta, June 9: Jamai Sashthi, Calcutta High Court reunited a mother-in-law with the man her daughter ran away to marry.

“Today is a very significant day for all mothers-in- law and their sons-in-law. So, I am advising the son-in-law to visit his mother-in-law’s house along with his wife today for at least 10 minutes,” Justice A.K. Talukdar and Justice P.S. Banerjee said.

Sabitri Singh’s daughter Rina had run away from her home in Hooghly on May 2 to marry Hari Shankar Shau, an auto-rickshaw driver.

Sabitri, who had been opposed to the match wondering how an auto-rickshaw driver would take care of her girl, did not hold a grudge against him today.

When the judges asked her if she had any objection to their suggestion, she smiled and said: “Certainly not. I am grateful to the court.”

Hari used to be a resident of the Sundia Housing Estate in Hooghly, where Sabitri and Rina, 18, too lived.

“Around 2pm (on May 2), Rina went to visit her friend Dipa but did not return home. That night Sabitri received a call on her cellphone. The caller told her if she wanted to get her daughter back, she would have to pay up Rs 30 lakh in 24 hours. The caller also told her to bring the cash (to a spot) near the Hooghly Setu at Naihati within 24 hours,” the court records say.

Sabitri immediately informed police, who found out that the call had been made from Hari’s cellphone.

Despite repeated appeals from Sabitri, the police did not arrest Hari.

Sabitri then filed a habeas corpus (meaning “produce the body”) petition in the high court. On May 14, the division bench asked Hooghly police to produce Hari and Rina.

Today, when the police brought Hari and Rina to the courtroom, Sabitri was present there.

When the judges asked about the couple’s relationship, Hari and Rina said they were married. They explained that since Sabitri was against their relationship, they had to cook up the kidnap story.

“I am only worried how Hari would be able to look after my daughter with his meagre income,” Sabitri said.

Hari, like an obedient jamai, assured the court that he would look after Rina well.