Love Jihad: Supreme Court agrees to hear Muslim man’s petition, asks NIA, Kerala govt to submit report

The Supreme Court of India on a petition filed by a Muslim man has agreed to hear the matter of alleged “Love Jihad” on August 16. The Court has also sought the responses from NIA and Kerala government.

26-year-old Shafin Jahan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court for the production of his wife, whom his father-in-law took away after Kerala HC declared their wedding invalid. 

Jahan has sought a stay on the divorce order of Kerala high court which had ruled that he married his wife after she was being radicalized by people associated with Islamic State and other terrorist organizations.

But Jahan in his petition to SC claimed that his Wife Akhila alias Hadiya was 24 years old at the time of marriage and she converted on her own and court cannot interfere in the matter.

Shafin Jahan’s case is being advocated by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaisingh. Calling the incident “unfortunate,” they say a court has stopped a husband to meet his wife. “

Jaisingh demanding Hadiya’s father to produce her in 24 hours asked the apex court, “Why police have cordoned her house. Why is no one allowed to meet her? ”

"We don't know whether she is alive. Let them (the father) produce her before the court," she said.

The court told Madhavi Divan, lawyer of Hadiya’s father to be ready to produce her before the court on 24 hours' notice.

In counter, Divan said Hadiya is the only child of her parents and she was forced to convert to Islam as part of a “big conspiracy”. She said if the court wants her to be produced even after seeing the evidence, her parents don’t have any problem with that.