Kalaburagi: The High Court of Karnataka, on Thursday paved way for the inter-faith marriage of a Muslim girl and directed the police to make sure that the girl and her Hindu boyfriend do not face threats.
Suresh Pawar and Nashwa Taha Sehena were in love with each other, but their decision to marry each other did not go well with Sehena’s family. When the situation was slipping out of his hands, Suresh Pawar filed a habeas corpus petition questioning the illegal detention of Sehena as he argued that she was kept in a state-run institution for a month with no valid grounds.
The crisis began in October when the two decided to get married. Sehena’s family was not willing to accept Pawar and following threats, the two approached Kalaburagi women’s police station seeking protection in October.
In his petition, Pawar said that while the police gave a patient and a sympathetic hearing, they asked Pawar to go back home and kept Sehena with them, stating that she needed security. However, when Pawar went to the station the next day, he learnt that Sehena had been sent to the State Women’s hostel and all his requests to meet her fell on deaf ears. With no other option left, Pawar approached the HC.
The court, while hearing the case on Tuesday, gave the girl two days to decide whether she wanted to live with her mother or marry the boy.
When Sehena said that she did not want to return to her mother, the Court suggested her to live with the man she loved, but nurture ties with her mother as well. Soon after the hearing, the lovers went back to their respective families.
Pawar, reiterating the threat that looms large over them said that he is concerned for Sehena and only wants her to be out of the women’s hostel.
