KOCHI: Observing there are reports of girls being taken out of the country after religious conversions becoming untraceable, the Kerala High Court declared null and void the marriage of a woman who reportedly converted to Islam and married a Muslim.
“This is not a case of a girl falling in love with a boy of a different religion and wanting to get married to him. In such cases, the court has been consistent in accepting the choice of the girl. This case is different,” the court said.
“The decision to get married, the most important in her life, can only be taken with the active involvement of her parents. The marriage which is alleged to have been performed is a sham and is of no consequence in the eye of the law,” HC said.
According to the government pleader, the girl’s was a case of ‘forcible conversion’. He submitted the efforts to convert her started by her roommates with the help of four other persons while she was studying for BHMS at Salem.
He said the woman was also influenced by Markazul Hidaya, Sathyasarani Educational and Charitable Trust and A S Sainaba a social worker from Malappuram.The court called for a report from the police regarding the criminal antecedents of the person, who is alleged to have married her. According to the police, the person was an active member of SDPI and an admin of its WhatsApp group ‘SDPI Keralam’.
Mansy Baraqui, who was arrested by the NIA at Kanakamala on October 2, 2016 for his alleged IS link, was a member of the SDPI Keralam and its has a core committee - ‘Thanal.’
Though it was said Buraqui had later been removed, the possibility of the person having connection with Buraqui remained high. “No prudent parent would want to get his daughter married to a person accused in a criminal case,” the court said. “It was clear the person is only a stooge, who has been assigned to play the role of going through a marriage ceremony,” it said.
The alleged marriage of the 24-year-old woman was conducted on December 19, 2016, by the Khazi of Puthoor Juma Masjid at Srambikkal house - the residence of Sainaba. The marriage took place when the case was pending before the court. The court observed conduct of Sainaba and her husband was viewed as an interference in the dispensation of justice by the court.
Probe it deep: HC to police
The court directed the state police chief to conduct a comprehensive probe into cases that have connection with forced religious conversion. The court ordered Kottayam SP to provide women constables to escort the woman to the house of the petitioner.