Fed up with the quarrel over religion, a love-struck couple — a Muslim woman and a Christian man —embraced Hindu religion.
The family members refused to accept this. However, the Kerala high court came to their rescue on Tuesday, by giving its stamp of approval.
A division bench comprising Justice K.T. Sankaran and Justice M.L. Joseph Francis permitted Shyma Fathima and Riju Devasia of Kozhikode, the couple who embraced Hindu religion, to enter into wedlock.
The court intervened in the matter when Shyma's father Abdul Rahman filed a case alleging Shyma was in the illegal custody of Riju.
He argued that Riju tried to marry his daughter under the Special Marriage Act. Pursuant to an earlier order, both Shyma and Riju appeared before the court and the court interacted with them.
It also permitted the petitioner to discuss the matter with his daughter. Before the court, the lovers submitted that they joined Hindu religion at a ceremony in the Arya Samajam in Kozhikode on December 2 last year.
Riju submitted before the court that due to their decision to get married, his family members had been attacked and he was forced to flee the state to Tamil Nadu.
Shyma submitted that she wanted to go with Riju, and refused to go with her father. The court recorded this and sent Shyma with Riju.
Following their relationship, tension had prevailed in the Thamarassery region for a period, and the RDO had conducted peace talks, but in vain.