Hadiya Shafin, a 25-year-old homoeopathic trainee, who married a Muslim man after converting to Islam, will be produced before the Supreme Court (SC) in a case of alleged forced conversion on Monday.
The SC is hearing a plea by, Hadiya’s husband, Shafin Jahan challenging the Kerala High Court order of May nullifying his marriage and seeking recall of its order asking the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the conversion of Hadiya to Islam and her marriage.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Hadiya’s father KM Ashokan have contended that Hadiya had been indoctrinated by radical groups and her consent was not free.
Her father has reportedly told media that Hadiya “does not have an independent mind” as she has been “mentally kidnapped”.
On 30 October, the apex court had directed Hadiya’s father, Asokan to present her in the court on November 27 to ascertain her views on her marriage to Shafin Jahan.
On 25 November, Hadiya told media at Kochi airport, that she wants to go with her husband, Shafin Jahan. Hadiya was accompanied by three women police officials and two male policemen besides her parents.
On Saturday afternoon, she was moved from her home near here at Vaikom in a convoy of police vehicles to Kochi International Airport to take the evening flight to Delhi. Hadiya along with her parents and police team are currently staying at the Kerala House in NEw Delhi, where four rooms have been booked for the them.
SC to hear plea to hold in-camera hearing for Hadiya
On 22 November, the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud said that the application for in-camera hearing of the proceedings when Hadiya appears before the court on November 27 would be taken up on that day itself after a lawyer mentioned Asokan’s application for an early hearing.
The Supreme Court in the last hearing had said that before examining the latter issue, it would like to ascertain if Hadiya had voluntarily converted to Islam and her views on her marriage.
NIA submit 3rd status report
On 23 November, NIA had submitted a third status report on the Kerala ‘love jihad’ episode to the Supreme Court, where the case is scheduled for hearing on Monday.
The agency completed the detailed status report after a thorough examination of 11 cases of alleged ‘love jihad’ and handed it over to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope, an official said.
The NIA in its earlier report has pointed to a “pattern” involving conversion to Islam and marriages in Kerala. On 18 November, an NIA team arrived at her home for the second time and took statements from her and her parents to present their case before the court.
The NIA had earlier alleged in the court that there was a “well-oiled machinery working in Kerala” which indulged in indoctrination and radicalisation of women, and 89 such cases have been reported.
The agency had also alleged that the court could invoke parental authority even if Hadiya was a major as her case suggests she was radicalised.
(With agency inputs)