New Delhi: Asserting her right as an individual with free choices, the woman at the centre of the 'Kerala Love-Jihad' case has told the Supreme Court that she is a Muslim and wants to continue living like a Muslim.
She has also told the Court that she wants to live with her husband as a couple because she embraced Islam and married him on her own free will. "I have been under confinement without the freedom that I am entitled to. Even now, I am under police surveillance. I most humbly pray that my entire liberty may kindly be restored to me," her 25-page affidavit has stated.
The 25-year-old woman is mired in a controversy after she converted to Islam from Hinduism and married a Muslim man.
As her father had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court after she embraced Islam and lived in a hostel, the High Court held the marriage to be a "sham" for taking her out of the court's custody and annulled the marriage, besides sending the adult woman back to her parents.
Her husband, however, moved the Supreme Court in appeal. But the Court ordered a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into a 'pattern' where various women were allegedly being converted to Islam. Later, the Court decided to hear the major woman first, and interviewed her in the open court when she made an appeal for her freedom like every other individual was entitled to under the Indian Constitution.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra allowed her plea to walk out of the custody of the parents and asked her to complete her medical studies by staying in the college hostel. On January 23, she pleaded through a lawyer to become a party in the case so as to express her views, and the Court allowed it.
Filing an affidavit now, the woman has emphasised on her right to make choices and be left alone. She narrated how her parents and others allegedly forced her to give up Islam and also leave her husband since he was reportedly linked with terror organisation ISIS.
"All those horrendous sufferings were meted out to me not for any fault of mine, but for having exercised, on my own free will, my fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India to believe in the religion of my choice as well as to marry the person of my choice," contended the affidavit.
She claimed that her father was under influence of some people who had vested interests in the whole episode and therefore, action should be taken against such rogue elements and not against her husband who has nothing to do with ISIS. The affidavit pleads that the NIA probe must stop forthwith and that the Court should let her lead her life.
"I further pray that this Hon’ble Court may be kind enough to appoint my husband as guardian. I most humbly pray that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to allow us to live together as husband and wife," stated her plea. The case is likely to be listed for hearing next on Thursday.
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