R'sthan love jihad: HC allows woman to live with hubby

The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday allowed a 23-year-old woman to live with her husband.

On November 1, the court had sent the woman, Aarifa, to Nari Niketan women's home in Jodhpur for her safety, following allegations that she was forcibly converted and married off to a Muslim man.

Aarifa, has been allowed to live with her husband Faiz Modi, during the hearing of a writ petition filed by her brother. On Tuesday, she arrived at the court premises under tight security cover.

Aarifa told the court she had married Modi on her own will and no one forced her to do so. Tension prevailed outside the court as right wing activists raised slogans against the court's decision.

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, headed by Justice Gopal Krishna Vyas, on Tuesday said that the woman is above 18 years of age and is free to marry a man of her choice.

However, to ensure that Aarifa is safe, the court directed police to look after her safety.

The high court had also criticised the state police for the way it handled the case.

It had asked how the police could assume that the conversion was illegal "just by way of an affidavit over a stamp paper of Rs 10", especially when there was no legal provision in this regard.

On the court's direction, the state government filed an affidavit on the status of law on conversion in force in Rajasthan.

As per the petitioner (Aarifa's brother), Modi had blackmailed and kidnapped his sister.

He also claimed that he harassed her for several months.

The court had asked the police to investigate the authenticity of the religious conversion and the marriage.

It had also directed the police to find out why Aarifa was living with her family till October, if she had married and converted to Islam in April.