The Supreme Court is set to hear Hadiya, the woman at the centre of a religious conversion case, on Monday. It was her marriage to a Muslim man and conversion to Islam that led to a controversy and allegations of “love jihad”.
Her father Ashokan’s lawyer A Reghunath on Sunday said no one must give relevance to her words as she is “highly indoctrinated and brainwashed” and must be rescued from the “mental kidnapping”, according to News18. “She is a victim of forced conversion,” he claimed. “Marriage was only a pretense to take her away from the law.”
Reghunath recalled the Kerala High Court’s verdict in the case, which he said had concluded that Hadiya does not have a stable mind. “We hope the Supreme Court will also come to the same conclusion,” he added.
Hadiya had reiterated on Saturday that she was not forced to convert to Islam and only wanted to be with her husband. She said she “wanted justice”. Her husband Shafin Jahan had also filed a complaint claiming some people were trying to convert her back to Hinduism.
In August, Shafin Jahan had moved the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court order that annulled their marriage and asked that Hadiya be sent to her parents. The Supreme Court had held that a woman’s consent as an adult is the most important aspect to consider in a case.
Hadiya’s father had approached the High Court after she converted to Islam to marry Jahan in 2016. He had alleged that Muslim organisations planned to take her abroad and make her join the Islamic State, and that Jahan was involved in terror activities. Hadiya was known as Akhila Ashokan before she converted.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!