A newly married couple in Haryana's Sonipat district, whose marriage was annulled by a Khap panchayat Tuesday, has decided to defy the diktat and have approached police, seeking protection.

The community panchayat of Joli village Tuesday announced that the two-day-old marriage of the couple, Anil Mehra and Seema Sabarwal, stood annulled. Justifying its bizarre act, the panchayat said the marriage was against social norms.