English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Kerala love jihad case: SC to hear Hadiya’s submission in open court on Nov 27

Published

on

File photo of Hadiya alias Akhila with her husband Shafin Jahan. Photo credit: Agencies

Supreme Court expresses surprise over Asokan seeking his adult daughter’s custody, says consent is prime and no law prevents marriage with a criminal 

The Supreme Court, on Monday (October 30), made it clear that any decision on the Kerala ‘love jihad’ case will only be taken after Hadiya alias Akhila – the Hindu girl who had married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan, a marriage that had been annulled by the Kerala High Court – had expressed her opinion in open court for which the time and date has been set for 3 pm on November 27.

The order of the apex court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, is a modification of an earlier directive issued by the same court in which it had said that the statements of 24-year-old Hadiya before the SC will be recorded ‘in camera’.

The proceedings in what has come to be called the Kerala love jihad caseon Monday, saw high voltage arguments being put forth by senior advocates Shyam Divan and Kapil Sibal and Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh – each of them trying hard to pursue their respective stands in the matter. The arguments were countered by equally pointed, often curt, observations by the apex court bench.

The proceedings on Monday began with the Chief Justice asking ASG Maninder Singh – who is appearing in the case on behalf of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) – on how Hadiya’s marriage with Shafin Jahan could be annulled in a Habeas Corpus petition.

Singh submitted that this is a case in which the girl has been indoctrinated and hence “court can invoke parental authority” though she is a major.

The Additional Solicitor General submitted that Akhila doesn’t want to be in the custody of her father, Asokan. A new application had been filed in the high court.

He said that as far as marriage is concerned “it is her personal consent. Who can say there is no free consent? I know my Lakshman Rekha and I am following the law. But the previous order passed by this court said the court has the authority to set the time of investigation. She married a criminal.”

The CJI asked: “Is there any law by which a girl can never fall in love with a criminal? I am really very surprised that her father wants custody of a major (she is now 25, was 24 when she married) person who is married to another major person.”

The ASG said: “We have to decide it within two or three hearings and the high court must know the fact that she does not want to be with her father.”

This is a critical part that the court would want to pay heed to. In a recent video made by social activist Rahul Eashwar in Kochi, Hadiya had said that her father was ill-treating her and that there was a threat to her life.  She has been quoted as saying in the video: “You have to get me out. I am sure I will be killed tomorrow or the day after. My father is getting angry, I know. When I walk, he is pushing me and kicking me. If my head or any body part hits somewhere and I die…”

The bench said thereafter: “Unless we call the person we cannot decide if she can express herself or if she has given consent. Then we can take a call. Prima facie you have to satisfy our constitutional obligation of producing her in court.”

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, who is appearing on behalf of Haditya’s father Asokan, reiterated the call for constitutional obligation. “When you talk about unity and diversity we are not going by impulse of society, but we will go by the law,” he said.

Arguing that “there is an organizational apparatus” operating for getting inter-religious marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim men operating, Divan said that this apparatus “consists of PFI and such organisations… They have students, preachers, psychologists etc and they radicalize impressionable minds.The question is do courts respond to such radicalization or do they remain silent?”

Leveling serious allegations against Hadiya’s husband, Divan told the top court that Shafin Jahan also questioned the antecedents of Hadiya’s has contacts with a person who recruits people for global terror outfit Islamic State.

Divan went on to submit that “Kerala has a huge contingent of people who have joined ISIS,” a contention that evoked sharp objections from senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is appearing for Hadiya’s husband.

Asserting that Divan’s allegations against his client were “false and baseless”, Sibal said: “He (Divan) is saying that entire Kerala has gone to ISIS…the antecedents of Shafin Jahan had been investigated by the Kerala Police.”

The CJI, after hearing the heated arguments, directed Hadiya’s father to produce her on the next date of hearing, set for November 27.

India News

Rahul Gandhi is right, Gautam Adani should be arrested: RJD president Lalu Yadav

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

Published

on

RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday spoke in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for immediate arrest of Gautam Adani, after the Industrialist was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said on Thursday that Gautam Adani should be arrested immediately, and his protector Madhabi Puri Buch should be investigated

The former Congress chief claimed that the recent developments vindicate his long-standing allegations against Gautam Adani. He took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Modi is protecting Adani, and is also involved in corruption. 

Yadav, the former chief minister of Bihar, was responding to queries from journalists here about Gandhi’s statement on the previous day, in the backdrop of charges of bribery and fraud against the Adani group in the US.

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

The RJD supremo, who incidentally has been convicted in several fodder scam cases and is on bail, was also asked about prospects of the INDIA bloc, of which his party is a part, in Jharkhand, where the counting of votes for assembly polls is scheduled on Saturday.

Speaking to PTI, the ailing septuagenarian replied, “I would like to remain focused on my statement that Adani must be arrested. I am not worried much about a new government (in Jharkhand) where we are already in power.” Jharkhand witnessed a straight battle between the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA, which included the JD(U) headed by Nitish Kumar, Prasad’s arch-rival and the current Chief Minister of Bihar.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Gandhi further said that Chief Ministers have been jailed for scams of Rs 10-15 crore, but Adani, who has committed a scam of Rs 2000 crore is walking free.

Continue Reading

India News

Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

The BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions.

Published

on

Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

BJP leader Vinod Tawde, accused of distributing cash to influence voters, has sent a legal notice to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Supriya Shrinate and Rahul Gandhi over the controversy. The BJP leader has demanded their apologies or face a Rs 100-crore defamation case.

Vinod Tawde’s legal notice came after regional party Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur on Tuesday accused him of distributing Rs 5 crore at a hotel in Virar in Palghar district, 60 km from Mumbai, to woo voters.

In the legal notice, the BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions. He claimed that he demanded an apology from the three Congress leaders for their remarks against him in the cash-for-votes row or he would be forced to initiate criminal proceedings against them.

Just a few hours before the Assembly Elections, a video went viral on Tuesday showing BVA workers storming into the hotel in Palghar during a meeting between Vinod Tawde and Rajan Naik, the BJP candidate from the Nalasopara seat. The BVA workers alleged that Tawde was caught red-handed with Rs 5 crore cash.

In the viral video, the BVA workers were seen taking out bundles of cash from a bag, while Tawde was sitting at a distance. The BVA workers also took pictures and videos of him on their phones. Amid these allegations, BVA leaders said that Rs 5 crore cash was distributed, an election official on Tuesday said Rs 9.93 lakh cash was recovered from the hotel rooms.

However, Vinod Tawde denied the allegation, saying he was only providing guidance to party workers on poll procedures and said he was not stupid enough to distribute money at his opponent’s hotel. Speaking to the media, he said that the Vivanta Hotel is owned by the Thakurs, and he is not stupid to go to their hotel and distribute money there.

The Police registered two FIRs against Tawde, BJP candidate Naik and others in connection with the controversy. Additionally, the Election Commission filed three FIRs against Tawde.

Continue Reading

India News

3 dead, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Maharashtra

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes.

Published

on

Three individuals, including two women, lost their lives and nine others were hospitalised following a gas leak caused by an explosion in a reactor at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, an official said on Friday.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday at the Myanmar Chemical Company, located in Shalgaon MIDC within Kadegaon tehsil.

Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge stated that the gas is suspected to be ammonia.

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes. “Approximately 12 people in the facility were affected and subsequently taken to the hospital. Tragically, two female workers and a security guard have died, while nine others are currently receiving treatment,” stated Sangram Shewale, Senior Inspector at Kadegaon police station.

Seven of the injured individuals have been admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Karad, with five of them in critical condition in the ICU.

The deceased women have been identified as Suchita Uthale (50) from Yetgaon in Sangli district and Neelam Rethrekar (26) from Masur in Satara district, PTI reported.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com