'Forced' conversion: Anjali refuses to go with parents, SHC allows her to live with husband
Court tells girl to meet both parties separately without any pressure
Court tells girl to meet both parties separately without any pressure. DESIGN: JAHANZAIB HAQUE
KARACHI:
A new bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) allowed Anjali Meghwar, a Hindu girl who converted to Islam, to live with her husband.
Once Anjali, whose Muslim name is Salma, refused to go with her parents, the court passed the ruling. Earlier, the bench asked her to meet her parents and her husband separately, without any pressure or fear.
This bench was assigned the case after another division bench, comprising justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah, declined to further proceed with the matter after the girl expressed no confidence in them.
Case history
The matter was taken to court by the girl's father, Kundandas Meghwar, who claimed that his 12-year-old daughter was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. He accused the Ghotki police of not taking action against the culprits.
He accused the police of helping the culprits by not producing the girl before the court on time and giving a chance to the respondent party to destroy the evidence against them and to prepare documents in favour of their baseless version.
He had pleaded the court declare Anjali as underage, which would mean that no statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure could be recorded. He also requested that, if her statement was necessary, then a judicial magistrate in Karachi be authorised to record it. He also demanded the constitution of a medical board for her examination.
Kidnapping case
Meanwhile, another petition was filed by the mother of Riaz Ahmed Sial, who is the spouse of Anjali. The petitioner submitted that her son had married Salma, who converted to Islam with her freewill but the police had implicated him in a false kidnapping case. She had sought quashing of the case against her son by the Ghotki police.
No-confidence
In a rare move, the two judges had on December 2 declined to further proceed with the matter as the girl claimed that the Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was trying to influence the court proceedings to get an order in favour of her father. The SHC chief justice had assigned the case to another division bench.
Ruling
On Wednesday, the members of new bench asked the girl to hold separate meetings with her husband and parents that lasted for around half-an-hour each. After the meetings, Anjali stated on oath that she was not converted and married under duress.
The girl said she wanted to live with her husband whom she married out of her own will.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2015.
A new bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) allowed Anjali Meghwar, a Hindu girl who converted to Islam, to live with her husband.
Once Anjali, whose Muslim name is Salma, refused to go with her parents, the court passed the ruling. Earlier, the bench asked her to meet her parents and her husband separately, without any pressure or fear.
This bench was assigned the case after another division bench, comprising justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah, declined to further proceed with the matter after the girl expressed no confidence in them.
Case history
The matter was taken to court by the girl's father, Kundandas Meghwar, who claimed that his 12-year-old daughter was abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. He accused the Ghotki police of not taking action against the culprits.
He accused the police of helping the culprits by not producing the girl before the court on time and giving a chance to the respondent party to destroy the evidence against them and to prepare documents in favour of their baseless version.
He had pleaded the court declare Anjali as underage, which would mean that no statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure could be recorded. He also requested that, if her statement was necessary, then a judicial magistrate in Karachi be authorised to record it. He also demanded the constitution of a medical board for her examination.
Kidnapping case
Meanwhile, another petition was filed by the mother of Riaz Ahmed Sial, who is the spouse of Anjali. The petitioner submitted that her son had married Salma, who converted to Islam with her freewill but the police had implicated him in a false kidnapping case. She had sought quashing of the case against her son by the Ghotki police.
No-confidence
In a rare move, the two judges had on December 2 declined to further proceed with the matter as the girl claimed that the Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was trying to influence the court proceedings to get an order in favour of her father. The SHC chief justice had assigned the case to another division bench.
Ruling
On Wednesday, the members of new bench asked the girl to hold separate meetings with her husband and parents that lasted for around half-an-hour each. After the meetings, Anjali stated on oath that she was not converted and married under duress.
The girl said she wanted to live with her husband whom she married out of her own will.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2015.