Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Monday granted a stay till Friday on the arrest of Mr Lakshmichand Samdariya and his wife, parents of Aradhana, the 13-year-old girl who had died after fasting for 61 days during the “Chaumasa” period.

Justice Raja Elango was dealing with a petition seeking to quash the criminal complaint against them for offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act. Counsel for the petitioners informed the court that their daughter had survived the period of fast but had died of a cardiac arrest two days after she broke her fast.

Counsel for the home department of Telangana state, while opposing the quashing of proceedings, said that there was a chance of protest by NGOs in case of relief to the petitioners. Asking him to file a counter affidavit, the judge adjourned the matter to Friday and asked the police not to arrest the petitioners till then.