Kerala 'love jihad' case: Continue probe but don't interfere in Hadiya's marriage, says SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the investigating agencies to continue their probe into whether there was any criminality in the marriage of alleged 'love-jihad' victim Hadiya. However, the SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, asked the National Investigating Agency (NIA) not to intrude in Hadiya's marriage with her husband Shafin Jahan.

Appearing for the NIA, lawyer Maninder Singh submitted to the Supreme Court that the probe has almost been completed. It had said on Wednesday in its affidavit that it only needs to examine two more individuals, Fasal Musthafa and Shirin Shahand, who are material and crucial witnesses in the case.

The NIA had earlier denied the allegations that it had behaved with Hadiya with a prejudice as if she is a criminal or a terrorist. The NIA asserted that it conducted the investigation in a "fair, objective and impartial manner" based upon evidence and material collected so far. 

It also denied the allegations that she was misled to portray her husband Shafin Jahan as a terrorist and that she was treated as a criminal, the agency said the allegations are "misconceived, entirely baseless, incorrect".

"The NIA has conducted the investigation in a fair, objective and impartial manner based upon the evidence/ material collected so far. There is no question of any personnel, who was entrusted with the investigation of the case, acting in a prejudicial manner, much less treating Hadiya as a criminal or a terrorist," stated the affidavit filed by the NIA.

Hadiya, in her affidavit before the top court, had earlier said that she converted to Islam and married Jahan on her own and wanted to remain like that. She had levelled allegations against her father and some NIA officials for being prejudiced.