New Delhi: According to the investigation ordered by Supreme Court probing inter-caste Hadiya’s Marriage, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), found four of the 11 cases of ‘love-jihad’, involved Hindu men converting to Islam to marry Muslim Women, which was objected by the couple’s families.
Out of 89 cases speculated, 11 cases of love jihad were confirmed said Kerala Police Chief Loknath Behera which was further sent to NIA and Hadiya’s case was among the 11 confirmed love-jihad case.
Hadiya’s marriage with Shefin Jahan was previously annulled by Kerala High Court calling their marriage a ‘sham’ after Hadiya’s father filed a petition with the court, the order was, however, set-aside by Supreme Court.
The high court had then said activities of converting Hindu women to Islam on the pretext of love is being run through radical organizations taking cognizance of the same in another case.
The single-bench Judge noting such activities said, “the fact remains that such activities are going on around us in our society,” while giving Hadiya’s custody to her parents annulling her marriage.
The High Court’s order was later challenged in Supreme Court by Hadiya’s husband Shefin Jahan.
It was during the hearing of this case, where Supreme Court had asked the National Investigation Agency to investigate what the Kerala High Court has observed about the conversions and marriages by organizations while asking Hadiya about her opinion on her marriage with Shefin Jahan.
Hadiya in her statement told the Apex Court that her marriage was of her own will and that she embraced Islam without any forceful conversion.
“In all these cases, the National Investigation Agency found that similar set of persons and institutions associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were involved in efforts to convert these four boys and seven girls,” said a home ministry official adding that of these cases efforts of conversion failed in three cases.
While the lawyer KP Muhammed Shareef appearing for Popular Front of India denied the allegations of love-jihad made against the organization and said it does not involve any of those conversion acts.
He said that ‘love jihad’ is a term coined by fringe Hindu groups, a conspiracy against Muslims adding these allegations were planned against the Popular Front of India.
“Presently National Investigation Agency is not an impartial body (but) still good and honest officers are serving in it who I personally know,” said Shareef, HT reported.