Pakistani Hindu couple's family dispute reaches High Court; woman wants husband deported

Indore: A family dispute between a Pakistani Hindu husband-wife duo, each living in two different countries for a long time after their marriage in Pakistan in 2020, has reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court after attempts at reconciliation failed.

The woman from Pakistan, Nikita Devi (28), has filed a writ petition in the Indore bench of the high court, in which she accused her husband, Vikram Kumar Nagdev (35), a resident of Karachi, of planning a second marriage without divorcing her, and sought his deportation to Pakistan from India.

According to officials, the couple are Pakistani citizens and got married on January 26, 2020 in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The man is currently residing in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on a long-term visa.

Petitioner's lawyer Dinesh Rawat told PTI on Thursday that Nikita, who lives at her parents' home in Pakistan, has filed a petition in the MP High Court under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution, which is likely to be heard next week. Article 226 of the Indian Constitution empowers high courts to issue separate writs (formal orders) in matters relating to fundamental rights and other legal rights.

The Pakistani woman's petition alleges that her husband has abandoned her and is making preparations to illegally marry another woman in March 2026. Her lawyer said, "My client has requested the high court in her petition to prevent her husband, who is taking undue advantage of legal complications, from marrying for the second time in India, and to deport him to Pakistan."

Meanwhile, Nagdev denied his wife's allegations. Nagdev said, "We came to India after marrying in Pakistan. Shortly thereafter, my wife returned to Pakistan on her own will. She refused to come to India or obtain a divorce by mutual consent. I also tried to resolve the family dispute through our community's panchayats, but she refused." He alleged that his wife is trying to extort money from him under the pretext of a family dispute.

According to Nagdev, he has been living in Indore on a long-term visa and follows all Indian laws. "Now I want to divorce my wife. She has defamed me both domestically and abroad and has caused me mental distress," he said.

Before the high court, the Pakistani couple's family dispute had reached the 'Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Consultancy Centre' in Indore, but it could not be resolved. Kishor Kodwani, the consultancy centre's head and social activist, said, "Despite my numerous efforts, the two parties failed to reach a compromise. Subsequently, in my report to the district administration, I recommended that Nagdev be sent back to Pakistan because he and his wife are both Pakistani citizens and Pakistan is the jurisdiction for their family dispute."

Indore, known as the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh, has a large population of refugees from the Sindhi Hindu community who fled Pakistan to India on long-term visas or residential permits due to alleged persecution. Over the years, many of these people have also been granted Indian citizenship.