MADURAI: A 24-year-old woman has approached the Madurai Bench of HC seeking protection, alleging that her parents are threatening to kill her for ‘family honour’ as she converted to another religion. The petitioner, M Keerthana Devi belongs to caste Hindu from Theni.
She converted to Islam of her own volition and changed her name to Shaheen Zainab Fathima, despite objections. In the petition, she claimed that seeing her conversion as a dishonour to family name, her parents beat her up, threatened her, and kept her under illegal confinement.
“Consequently I left home on September 12 and approached a jamath named Jammiyathul Ahlil Quran Val Hadees (JAQH) which gave me shelter. But my parents threaten to kill me for family pride,” she alleged. Further, claiming the local police were supporting her parents, and were constantly harassing her by asking her to come to the station for inquiry, she prayed to the court to grant her protection.
When the case came for hearing before Justice GK Ilanthirayan, a counsel appearing for Devi’s parents contended that they did not threaten her and are worried about her safety. Following the same, the counsel for petitioner submitted that she is not willing to go with her parents and is ready to appear before the court on Monday to clear the apprehensions of her parents.