'Conversion ploy for ISIS recruitment': Kerala HC nullifies marriage

'Hindu daughter was converted to Islam so she could be recruited to Islamic State', claimed father in a petition.

The Kerala High Court has nullified the marriage of a Hindu woman to a Muslim man after it was alleged her conversion to Islam was a ploy for ISIS recruitment. A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday nullified the marriage of a Hindu woman who had converted to Islam following her father's petition.

The bench comprising of Justices Surendra Mohan and Abraham Mathew passed the order after Akhila's father, K M Ashokan, of Vaikom in Kottayam district filed a petition stating that his daughter was converted to Islam as a strategy to recruit her for the Islamic State. The marriage was nullified in the wake of youths from Kerala leaving the country to join IS, some of them had converted to Islam before fleeing from homes.

The court declared the marriage void and said that' marriage being the most important decision in her life, can only be taken with the active involvement of her parents'. "The marriage, which is alleged to have taken place, is a sham and is of no consequence in the eye of law. Her husband has no authority to act as the guardian,'' the court observed.

Petitioner Ashokan was granted the custody of his daughter, who is currently lodged in a hostel as per the court directive. Kottayam district police superintendent was directed to give protection to Akhila and her father.

Probe ordered

The Kerala High Court also asked the state police chief to conduct a probe into the alleged forced conversions in Kerala. Court asked the police to also probe the activities of the agencies involved in conversions. Akhila when asked, had told the court earlier that her decision to embrace Islam was her own. The father had filed a habeas corpus petition in 2016 after she converted to Islam. While the petition was pending in the court, she married Shefin Jahan on December 19, 2016.

OneIndia News