Hadiya, the woman from Kerala whose conversion from Hinduism to Islam and marriage to a Muslim man led to a controversy and allegations of forced conversion, on Tuesday said that she was happy that the Supreme Court had allowed her to finish her education.
“I hope to meet [her husband] Shafin Jahan in Salem,” she told reporters at the Delhi airport.
The court on Monday ruled that Hadiya could pursue her education at the Sivraj Homoeopathic Medical College in Salem, Tamil Nadu, and that she should live at the college hostel for the entire duration of her course.
Hadiya’s father Ashokan on Tuesday denied her allegation that she had been placed under house arrest. He also described the Supreme Court order as a victory for him. “The court vindicated my stand by ordering the National Investigation Agency inquiry to continue,” he said. “Shafin Jahan cannot meet her without court directives”.
Meanwhile, Jahan said he will visit Hadiya in Salem after her admission procedures are finished. “The court order did not put any curbs on me to meet her,” he said. The Kerala High Court had annulled their marriage in May and had sent Hadiya to her father’s house, where she was confined so far.
On Monday, when asked if she wanted the Kerala government to fund her education, Hadiya had replied that she would like her husband Jahan to bear the expenses.
Later, Jahan told journalists outside the court that he was happy with the court’s order. “This is a victory as the Supreme Court set Hadiya free from illegal custody,” he had said on Monday. “Setting her free was my aim”. He added he would seek legal advice on whether he could visit Salem to meet Hadiya.
The National Investigation Agency also submitted a 100-page report to the Supreme Court on its inquiry into the case.
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