Kerala 'love jihad' case: SC restores Hadiya's marriage, sets aside HC verdict

The NIA has denied allegations that it had behaved with Hadiya with a prejudice as if she is a criminal or a terrorist.

NEW DELHI: In a huge win for Kerala 'love-jihad' victim Hadiya, the Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Kerala High Court order which had annulled the validity of her marriage. The SC bench restored her marriage with her husband Shafin Jahan.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had asked the investigating agencies to continue their probe into whether there was any criminality but had asked them not to intrude in her marriage. Appearing for the NIA, lawyer Maninder Singh had submitted to the Supreme Court that the probe has almost been completed. It had said 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.