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Kerala Love Jihad case – SC orders NIA probe after agency claims ‘pattern’ emerging in Kerala

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Former Supreme Court judge, Justice RV Raveendran asked to supervise the NIA probe, Kerala police informs apex court that it wants to withdraw from the investigation

After a brief lull, the Kerala ‘love jihad’ case is now back in the limelight with the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, being informed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that the alleged conversion and radicalisation of a Hindu woman – Hadiya alias Akhila – and her marriage to a Muslim man – Shafin Jahan – was not an “isolated incident” but part of a “pattern” emerging in the southern state.

With the Kerala Police informing the apex court division bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud that it wanted to withdraw from the investigation in the case and was prepared to hand over the probe, the NIA has now been told investigate the incident and whether it has any link with the involvement of global terror conglomerate – Islamic State (IS).

Noting that “everyone wants a fair probe” in the case following the “serious remarks made by the (Kerala) High Court”, the Bench ordered that the NIA probe will be supervised by retired Supreme Court judge, Justice RV Raveendran. The Bench also said that before it takes a final view of the probe’s finding, it will “require the presence of the girl (Hadiya)” to put forth her version of the events that led to her purported marriage and the claims of ‘love jihad’ that it led to

Love Jihad

Hadiya’s marriage to Safin Jahan had been annulled by the Kerala High Court on May 24, 2017, which had termed the union as a case of “love jihad”. Curiously though, Hadiya had told the Kerala High Court that she had consented to her marriage with Shafin Jahan, and that there was no forceful conversion. But the court wasn’t convinced. Jahan had then moved the Supreme Court to challenge the annulment of his marriage with Hadiya.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jahan, objected to the Supreme Court’s decision of handing over the probe to the NIA. “The NIA has made many U-turns in the past. How reliable is a probe by the NIA? The girl must be called in by the Supreme Court”, Sibal told the Bench.

However, the Bench informed Sibal that : “if we speak to the girl and she says that she was forcibly converted and married off, the case is over. It will be unfair to you. So we will speak to her last before passing any orders. First we will see what you all have to say”.

Prior to Sibal’s submissions, senior advocate V Giri, appearing for the Kerala police, informed the apex court that the State police was willing to withdraw from the investigation and was ready to hand over all documents related to the case to the central probe agency. “There is already a special investigation team and the probe is proceeding. But let the NIA now complete the investigation,” Giri told the division bench.

Giri’s submission came after CJI Khehar told him that the court had asked the NIA for inputs in the case because it was an agency from outside the State. “We thought you [the Kerala police] may take sides. So we asked the NIA”, CJI Khehar said.

Last week, despite objections by Jahan, the Supreme Court ordered the Kerala Police to share with the NIA the probe details of the case. “We want the whole picture. Let the whole picture come before us. Why should anybody doubt the NIA”, the Supreme Court had said.

The Bench had observed that it gathered the “impression that the petitioner (Shafin Jahan) does not desire the correct and independent view of the controversy” to be brought before the apex court, and said: “We want to see whether it is an isolated case or a larger issue is involved (sic)”.

Background to the Kerala Love Jihad case:

In May this year, the Kerala High Court had declared as “null and void” the marriage of 24-year-old Hindu woman – Hadiya alias Akhila – who had converted to Islam to marry a Muslim man – Shafin Jahan – in December 2016, terming the union as “sham”. It had ordered Hadiya to be placed in her parents’ protective custody.

Akhila was a homeopathy student in Kerala when she converted to Islam. Shafin Jahan had met her with his family in August 2016 in response to her posting on a marriage website and they got married last December.

Jahan, 27, challenged the Kerala High Court order in the Supreme Court, saying that the order was an “an insult to the independence of women in India”. He had requested the Supreme Court to order Hadiya’s father to produce her in court while claiming that she had converted to Islam of her own volition two years prior to their marriage.

Hadiya’s father, however, had said that she was a “helpless victim” trapped by a “well-oiled racket” which used “psychological measures” to indoctrinate people and convert them to Islam. He had also alleged that Jahan is a criminal and that Hadiya had been trapped by a network with connections to the Islamic State.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Rahul Gandhi says air pollution in North India a national emergency, tourism declining, global reputation crumbling

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the air pollution in North India is a national emergency that needs a collective national response and not a political blame game. The Congress leader added that due to air pollution tourism is declining and “our global reputation is crumbling”.

It is a public health crisis that is stealing children’s future and suffocating the elderly, Gandhi said, adding an environmental and economic disaster that is ruining countless lives.

“As Parliament meets in a few days, MPs will all be reminded of the crisis by our irritated eyes and sore throats. It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all,” the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

The former Congress chief said the poorest “among us suffer the most”, unable to escape the toxic air surrounding them. Families are gasping for clean air, children are falling sick, and millions of lives are being cut short, he added.

The Rae Bareli MP noted that the pollution cloud covers hundreds of kilometres. He said cleaning it up will require major changes and decisive action from governments, companies, experts, and citizens.

“We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” the Congress leader said on his X handle.

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far.

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Indian Navy submarine collides with fishing boat near Goa coast, 2 fishermen missing

Indian Navy officials on Friday said that an Indian fishing vessel with a crew of 13 collided with an Indian Naval submarine near the Goa coast. 

Following the incident, a massive search and rescue operation has been launched by the Indian Navy, which has deployed six ships and aircraft. Reportedly, while 11 crew have been rescued, two are still missing.

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement and said that the vessel, Marthoma, collided with a Scorpene-class submarine about 70 nautical miles off the Goa coast. It added that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two are underway and are being coordinated with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC). It further mentioned that additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts.

The statement said that the cause of the incident is being investigated. Notably, Scorpene-class submarines are a major part of India’s naval power in the Indian Ocean as they can undertake multifarious types of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Reports said that the state-of-the-art technology utilised for the construction of the Scorpene-class submarines has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic silencing techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimized shape and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. Furthermore, the attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on the surface.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy in its statement said that 13 crew members were aboard the fishing vessel at the time of the collision. It added that while 11 crew have been rescued so far, two fishermen are still reported missing.

A spokesperson from the Navy told the media that eleven crew have been rescued so far. He stated that search and rescue efforts for the remaining two crew members of Marthoma are in progress and are being coordinated with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mumbai. Additional assets including from the Coast Guard have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts, he continued.

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10 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area.

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Ten Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Friday.

The confrontation started in the morning within a forest area under the jurisdiction of the Bhejji police station, where a joint operation was being conducted by security personnel as part of an anti-Naxalite initiative, according to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P. 

This operation was initiated following intelligence regarding the presence of Maoists connected to the Konta and Kistaram area committees, situated in the forested regions around Korajguda, Dantespuram, Nagaram, and Bhandarpadar villages.

So far, the bodies of ten Naxalites have been recovered at the scene. Additionally, a significant cache of weapons was seized, including an INSAS rifle, an AK-47, and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR). 

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) continue their search operation in the area. This incident contributes to the year-to-date total of 207 Naxalite fatalities recorded in various clashes across the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, comprising seven districts. 

On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, North Block. Their discussion focused on developmental progress in Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh and efforts aimed at enhancing peace and stability in these regions. 

The Chief Minister emphasised that both the state government and security forces are diligently working to eradicate Naxal influence in Chhattisgarh, aligning with the Union Home Minister’s commitment to eliminate Naxalism by 2026.

“I met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and updated him about the Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh. Over the past 11 months, close to 200 Naxals have been neutralized, and approximately 600-700 have surrendered. We are making significant strides towards the goal set by the Prime Minister and Home Minister to achieve a Naxal-free India by March 2026,” CM Sai told reporters following the meeting.

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