The Kerala Women’s Commission is all set to move the Supreme Court in the Hadiya case, after various outfits’ alleged violation of human rights of the 24-year-old, who is under court-ordered police protection at her house in TV Puram, Vaikom.
The Kerala High Court, on May 25, had declared as ‘null and void’ the marriage of Hadiya, known as Akhila before conversion, with Shafeen Jahan in December, 2016, and ordered her to be placed under her parents’ protective custody.
Chairperson M.C. Josephine told media that the commission would now approach the SC with a petition seeking permission to visit Hadiya, then prepare a status report, and submit it to the court.
A delegation of people from various sections of the society had called upon Josephine earlier and submitted a memorandum to her to intervene in the case.
Josephine then sought legal advise and decided to approach the apex court with a petition if her rights as a woman was violated.
Visitors have been barred from visiting Hadiya at her residence, which is guarded by the police.
Shafin Jahan, the Kollam native whose marriage with Hadiya had sparked a row, moved the top court against the HC order, contending the ruling was an ‘insult to the independence of women in India’.
Jahan claimed Hadiya, a homeopathy student in Kerala, converted to Islam of her own volition two years prior to their marriage and sought direction to Hadiya’s father to present her in court.
However, the father had claimed his daughter had been radicalized by some organizations and they had influenced her to marry a Muslim man, adding that there could be a conspiracy to send her to Syria to work for extremist organizations such as the Islamic State.
