Court dismisses anticipatory bail plea of woman in interfaith marriage case

A local court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application of a woman in whose interfaith marriage case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered a CBI probe. The high court ordered the CBI to probe after observing that the ‘nikah’ took place in an autorickshaw, and not a mosque.

The order was passed when the runaway couple had moved the high court for protection.

Initially, a zero FIR was registered on August 7, 2024, at a police station in Fatehgarh Sahib district on the complaint of a person, who reported that on July 6, 2024, Asif Khan and a woman solemnised 'nikah' in the presence of maulvi Sakil Ahmed in an autorickshaw at Khuda Alisher in Chandigarh.

The complainant alleged that his fake signature was used on the 'nikahnama', attached by the petitioner. The zero FIR was transferred to Chandigarh and a fresh FIR was registered under various Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Sector 11 Police Station in Chandigarh.

In the bail application, the woman, belonging to Madhya Pradesh, said she was in love with Asif and that they had solemnised the 'nikah'. Since some persons were against the marriage, an FIR had been lodged on the grounds of fake signatures of witnesses on the 'nikahnama'. She said she was not known to anyone, and was ready to join the investigation.

The Additional Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application, saying that after investigation, the maulvi had been arrested, and on August 24, the 'nikahnama' register had been recovered from his possession.

The applicant's statement was also recorded in the court of the JMIC, Chandigarh.

The original 'nikahnama' is yet to be recovered and the signatures of witnesses are yet to be verified from the CFSL. The high court has assigned the matter to the CBI. After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the bail application.