After her marriage with Shafin Jahan was upheld by Supreme Court, Hadiya on Saturday said “all this happened as I embraced Islam”.
Hadiya and her husband arrived in Kerela on Saturday from Salem and drove to the office of the Popular Front of India (PFI) where she briefly interacted with the media.
“The Constitution gives all the freedom to choose their religion, which is a fundamental right of every citizen and all this happened because I embraced Islam,” said Hadiya.
“With the Supreme Court upholding our marriage, we feel we have got freedom,” Hadiya said here. The top court on 8 March, set aside an order of the Kerala High Court that annulled their marriage.
Hadiya, 24, earlier Akhila Ashokan, embraced Islam and married Shafin Jahan, a Muslim. Hadiya’s father alleged that she was forcibly converted by groups with links to terrorist outfits.
On Thursday (8 March), the Supreme Court had restored the marriage of Hadiya with Shafin Jahan, setting aside a Kerala High Court order annulling their wedding.
However, a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a brief operative order, the bench had said that an NIA investigation into the criminal dimension into the case, if any, would continue.
K M Asokan, father of alleged love jihad victim Hadiya, after the judgement had said he would consider moving a review petition in the top court against its verdict.
“Will consider filing a review petition,” he told reporters, reacting to the ruling by the apex court bench, while maintaining that his daughter’s marriage with Shafin Jahan was an act of “adjustment” done by a group.
The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage on a habeas corpus petition filed by Asokan, who hails from Vaikom in Kottayam district.
“It was a kind of an adjustment marriage. There is no doubt. I will try to convince the court about it once again,” he said.
He, however, expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) may continue its investigation in the matter.
(With agency inputs)