After Hadiya Speaks to Husband on Phone, Father Says Will Move SC

Initially reluctant, the college principal – Hadiya’s designated guardian – “allowed” her to speak to Shafin twice.

As 25-year-old Hadiya returned to her college in Salem to complete her house surgency, she told media persons that although the Supreme Court had granted her freedom from her parents' confinement, she was not able to exercise that freedom in its entirety.

In a gesture aimed at proving that the college was not going to curtail Hadiya's fundamental rights, she was allowed to speak to her husband Shafin Jahan, twice.

On Thursday, Hadiya's husband Shafin Jahan said that he spoke to her over phone.

I spoke to her yesterday and again today, the college principal allowed us to do so. I am happy that I could speak to her, she told me that she wants to meet me. She is at least happy at the college. There seems to be no problems in her stay there. We hope everything will be alright. The court gave her freedom to do whatever she wants.

Shafin Jahan

Earlier, there was ambiguity over whether Shafin – who moved SC against the Kerala High Court order annulling his marriage to Hadiya – would be granted permission to meet Hadiya.

Although the college principal G Kannan had earlier said that nobody except Hadiya's parents will be allowed to meet her, he later told media that Hadiya was free to meet anyone she wants to.

Kannan told TNM that he has not got any instructions from the court that prohibits Hadiya from speaking or meeting anyone.

This is a question of humanity and fundamental rights, not caste or religion. She asked to speak with Shafin, I connected the phone so that she could speak to him. She was the happiest after speaking to him.

G Kannan

Hadiya re-joined the college on Wednesday, and the principal added that she was trying to settle in.

Hadiya's father Ashokan, maintained that Shafin cannot meet Hadiya in college, and told TNM that he would seek legal recourse to stop Shafin from meeting her.

Who is he? The court hasn’t recognised him as her husband. Then how can he meet her?

Ashokan

However, as of now, the college principal maintains that if Hadiya's father approaches the court again, the college will follow the court's directions.

Let the court give directions. Until then, there is no restriction whatsoever on Hadiya. She is just like any other student in this college

G Kannan, college principal

(This article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with their permission.)

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