Mangaluru: Man files Habeas Corpus plea; Hindu outfits call it ‘Love Jihad’

An inter-faith love marriage has turned into a controversy, with a man filing a Habeas Corpus application in a court and the Hindu organisations terming it ‘Love Jihad’.

A Hindu girl, studying in a final year law in a city college, had married a Muslim youth from Mumbai, seven months ago.

Reshma of Kasargod developed friendship with Iqbal Choudary of Mankhurd in Mumbai through Facebook. Their friendship turned into a love affair. Reshma left for Mumbai and married Iqbal. In fact, they had a court marriage and had obtained legal sanctity for their marriage as well.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal leaders have termed Reshma’s marriage as ‘Love jihad’ and submitted a memorandum to Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to Mangaluru on December 29. They have even demanded an NIA probe into the incident.

Reshma is the daughter of Ashok of Kasargod. Reshma went missing seven months ago and married Iqbal. Soon after, her parents had filed a missing complaint at Mangaluru East Police Station. After a few days, the parents had traced Reshma in the house of Iqbal in Mumbai.

Reshma, who refused to speak to her parents, had stated that she had married Iqbal on her own and had even produced a Notary affidavit before the police.

As the girl was a major and after documenting her statement, the police had returned to Mangaluru.

However after a few days, Reshma’s father had filed a complaint that Reshma had stolen a laptop and gold jewels before leaving the house. Accordingly, a notice was served to Reshma. However, Reshma had declined the allegations of her father, a police officer told.

Reshma’s husband Iqbal has chaged that Reshma’s parents had tried to pursuade her to return to her house thrice in Mumbai. Recently, her family members have taken her from a mall in Mumbai. Charging that his wife has been kidnapped, Iqbal has filed a complaint with the Mumbai police. He has even filed a Habeas Corpus in a court. The court has now asked the police to trace Reshma and produce her before it.

A source in the police department said, “The Mumbai police had visited Mangaluru recently in search of Reshma. In fact, Reshma’s family was residing in a rented house in an apartment at Lower Bendoor there. However, they have shifted their base. Suspecting that the family might have gone to Kerala, the Mumbai police visited Kerala too.”