India Supreme Court restores inter-religious marriage annulled by lower court.


The Supreme Court in India has ruled that an Indian woman who has been embroiled in an inter-religious marriage row may now live with her husband. The woman, 26 year old Hadiya Jahan, was born into a Hindu family, but converted to Islam when she married a Muslim man.

Her family told a lower court that they believed their daughter had been brainwashed as part of an anti-Hindu conspiracy, which promted the court to annul the maariage - now restored by India's top court's ruling.

History shows there have always been condemnation on marriages between Hindus and Muslims in conservative Indian families. But recent developments has seen a rise in disturbing accusations with radical Hindu fringe groups, starting to portray some interfaith marriages as "love jihad" a term now used to accuse Muslim men of participating in a "conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them".

Previuosly known by her Hindu name Akhila Asokan, Hadiya Jahan has always insisted that she acted out of her own free will. She and her husband appealed after the high court in the state of Kerala annulled their marriage. 

An investigation was opened by the Supreme Court and she was summoned to testify if she was forced to convert. Before a three juge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Hadiya Jahan said that she wanted her freedom and to see her husband, who would support her financially.

She added that she had been kept in "unlawful custody" by her parents. A top court bench allowed Ms Jahan to leave her father's custody and resume her studies in November.



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