KOCHI: It was a bitter end to Sumayya Sherin and Afeefa’s love affair, with the latter opting to go with her family, breaking all relations with her partner.
Afeefa, allegedly under illegal detention by her parents, informed the Kerala High Court on Monday that she would like to go with her parents instead of living with her lesbian partner, Sumayya, in Malappuram.
Sumayya told TNIE, "since Afeefa has decided to end the relationship, there will be no more action from my side.” Following an order from the judicial first-class magistrate court in Malappuram, the two had lived together for over a month.
A Division Bench headed by Justice P B Suresh Kumar recorded Afeefa’s submission and closed further proceedings in the habeas corpus petition filed by Sumayya seeking a directive to produce Afeefa before the court. Sumayya stated in the petition that she is a lesbian owing to her sexual orientation; that Afeefa is also a lesbian; that they were residing together for a while, and that on May 30, Afeefa’s parents forcibly took her to their house.
Following the court’s direction, Afeefa was produced before the Bench, and the judges interacted with her and the petitioner separately. When the court ascertained from Afeefa whether she was in any form of detention, Afeefa stated that “although she was living with the petitioner for some time, she does not wish to continue to live with Sumayya now and that she is residing with her parents on her own volition.”
When the court enquired with Afeefa whether she would like to say anything more, she said her Aadhaar card and a few other documents were with Sumayya and requested the court to direct the petitioner to return them. Later, Sumayya informed the court that she had brought with her a few documents that belonged to Afeefa and expressed willingness to return them.
The court again called Afeefa and asked whether she would like to talk to Sumayya. Afeefa stated that she does not. Sumayya and Afeefa were then called together to the chambers of the judges to hand over the documents. Sumayya handed over a bundle of documents to Afeefa. “In the light of the statement made by Afeefa and the developments narrated, we deem it appropriate to close the writ petition,” the court held.