Hadiya to Continue Studies as Akhila Ashokan: College Dean
Hadiya Jahan’s marriage is under court scrutiny. Will all the uproar over alleged “love jihad” drown out her voice?
The Supreme Court on Monday, 27 November, heard the alleged ‘love jihad’ case of 25-year-old Hadiya. The apex court, after hearing Hadiya’s side of the story ordered for her to go back to her college in Salem, Tamil Nadu to continue her studies under the protection of her college dean.
In its report to the apex court, the National Investigation Agency said that Hadiya married and converted out of her own will.
The case garnered national attention after Hadiya’s parents sought legal intervention alleging that their daughter was forcefully converted to Islam.
- The Supreme Court directed Hadiya to continue her studies under the protection of her college dean
- Hadiya pleads to be united with her husband, claiming that she converted out of her own will
- Hadiya gave her testimony before the Supreme Court bench
- Supreme Court heard the alleged ‘love jihad’ case on Monday
- The deposition took place in the CJI’s courtroom
Hadiya Reaches Sivaraj Homeopathy College in Salem
Hadiya reached Sivaraj Homeopathy College in Salem, where she will continue her education homeopathic medicine.
Hadiya Will Continue Studies as Akhila: College Principal
Hadiya’s college principal G Kannan said she will be treated as one of the inmates of the hostel and that no special treatment will be accorded to her. She will also not be allowed to meet anyone, except for her parents. he added.
She will be registered under her Hindu name Akhila Ashokan in the college, he told reporters in Salem.
The apex court has appointed the dean of the college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, had directed the college and the university to re-admit Hadiya and grant her hostel facilities.
Hadiya Leaves for Salem, Says She Wants to Go With Shafin Jahan
A day after the Supreme Court allowed Hadiya to go to Tamil Nadu for studies, the 25-year-old left for Salem on Tuesday afternoon.
The Court granted Hadiya’s desire to complete her homeopathy course at Salem after it heard her in an open court on Monday.
Hadiya has been accompanied by security officers on her journey from Delhi to Salem. Though she was restricted by security officers from speaking to the media, at the airport she repeated her stand that she wanted to go with her husband Shafin Jahan.
Accommodated at the Kerala House in Delhi, the arrangements for her journey were also monitored by the Kerala House protocol officer.
Hadiya's Parents Welcome Supreme Court's Decision
Hadiya’s parents on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to allow their daughter to continue her studies under the care of her college dean in Salem, Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to ANI, her father KM Ashokan said though he was happy with the SC’s order, he was worried about Hadiya’s unawareness on Syria and ‘couldn’t have a terrorist in the family.’
He said that he however did believe that Shafin Jahan was indeed a ‘terrorist’.
Ashokan also said he was sad that his daughter had to undergo such "unpleasant experiences because of which her studies were interrupted."
"But now I am happy as the court has allowed her to study further," he told reporters in Delhi.
Meanwhile her mother Ponnamma told the media that Hadiya was mentally not well.
"My Stand Has Been Vindicated": Shefin Jahan
Hadiya’s husband told reporters after the SC concluded hearing on the alleged ‘love jihad’ case that his stand in the case had been ‘vindicated’, reported ANI.
Next Hearing Scheduled for Third Week of January 2018
The Supreme Court has directed further hearing in the alleged ‘love jihad’ case to be held in the third week of January.
Hadiya to Be Taken Back to Kerala Tomorrow
Hadiya will be flown back to Kerala tomorrow, so she can continue her studies.
According to The News Minute, the court has ordered for Hadiya to be taken to Sivaraj Homeopathic medical college. The court has also asked for women police officers to be there in plain clothes in the college. She will avail the hostel facilities, and be treated like any other student, the court observed.
The dean will be responsible for her safety.
SC Adjourns Hearing for the Day
The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on the alleged ‘love jihad’ case for the day.
The bench will continue hearing Hadiya’s deposition tomorrow, i.e. 28 November.
"I Want My Freedom": Hadiya to SC
When the SC bench questioned Hadiya on what she wanted, she replied saying “I want my freedom.”
According to The News Minute, the court further questioned if she wanted to continue her studies on state expenditure, to which she replied:
She further claimed that she had been “unlawful custody for the last 11 months.”
She then told the court that she wanted her husband to be her guardian, and wanted to go back to her studies and be a good doctor.
Hadiya Begins Testifying Before SC Bench
Sibal pleaded that Hadiya be heard first, following which the Supreme Court began hearing Hadiya’s side on the alleged ‘love jihad’ case.
Hadiya’s testimony will take place in open court, as earlier ordered by the Supreme Court.
Should We De-Link Indoctrination from Hadiya's Case?: Supreme Court to NIA
The NIA urged the bench to look at the 100-page report submitted by the agency before reaching any conclusion on the Hadiya case.
Replying to NIA’s request, the Supreme Court bench, headed by CJI Dipak Misra then questioned if the larger issue of indoctrination needed to be de-linked from Hadiya’s case, reported CNN News18.
Meanwhile, Ashokan’s counsel also insisted that the court look into the NIA’s report before hearing Hadiya’s deposition, as there’s “an operational apparatus existing for conversion.”
The counsel for the Kerala government also tells the Supreme Court bench to look at all the evidence and then speak to Hadiya.
Hadiya Entitled to Her Decisions: Kapil Sibal
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Hadiya’s husband Shafin Jehan, expressed his regret at the proceedings, saying that instead of listening to Hadiya, the attention has shifted to venomous TV channels.
Sibal further said that when Hadiya was there, the court should first hear her case, and not the NIA.
NIA Alleges 'Love Jihad' Pattern
Ahead of the hearing at the Supreme Court, the NIA submitted a report stating that Hadiya’s case is not an isolated one, but is part of several similar cases.
The agency also said that Hadiya was not allowed to meet her father for over seven months.
Ashokan's Lawyer Pleads for In-Camera Proceedings
Ashokan’s lawyer Shyam Divan requests SC to reconsider decision for open hearing, pleading for in-camera proceedings.
According to Live Law, Divan said:
Hadiya Reaches Court
Hadiya has reached Chief Justice of India Deepak Mishra’s courtroom to begin the deposition and give her argument against the allegation that she was forced to convert her religion. The NIA also recorded her statement in its report to the court, which stated that Hadiya changed her religion and wed Shafin Jahan of her own free will.
Hearing to Begin at 3 pm
Supreme Court will begin hearing in Hadiya’s case at 3 pm in the judges camber, as media reports claim.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had submitted its report on the case to the apex court and had recorded in it Hadiya’s statement that she wed her husband of her own free will and was not coerced into it.
SC to Begin Hearing in Hadiya's Case
The Supreme Court is all set to begin hearing the alleged case of ‘love jihad’ of 25-year-old Hadiya, who married Shafin Jahan in December 2016.
In its report to the apex court, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recorded Hadiya’s statement – that she married out of her free will.
Hadiya’s case has attracted national attention after the Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage to Shafin following her father’s allegations that she had been lured to convert to Islam. Hadiya’s father alleged that her marriage was a conspiracy to lure her to Syria.
Becoming Hadiya: A Timeline
On 6 January 2016, Akhila went missing from a house in Salem, where she was residing while pursuing Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery.
Akhila’s parents filed a police complaint alleging that her flatmates and friends Faseena and Jaseena, and their father Aboobacker, had taken Akhila away. A case was registered against Aboobacker.
Following this, Akhila's father Ashokan filed a habeas corpus petition at the Kerala High Court. Akhila appeared before the court on 19 January, and told the court about the circumstances under which she left her home and parents.
On 21 December, her counsel told the court that she had married a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan, on 19 December according to Muslim laws. The court questioned as to why it had been kept in the dark regarding the marriage.
The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage on 24 May 2017, after making observations ruled that a high-level probe was required to study the possibilities of a "love jihad", and a suspected ISIS link. Shafin Jahan submitted a plea to the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s annulment.
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