The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to interfere in the decision of a Christian woman marrying a Muslim DYFI leader, who had been in the spotlight of a 'love jihad' controversy.
The woman, Joisna Mary Joseph, told reporters that she married the person she loved and expressed hope.
"I married the person I loved. So I wanted to go with him. I liked him and started living with him. I told the court about my decision. It is a decision made by a person over 18 years of age. We will both talk to our parents. We will convince them," Joisna told news agency ANI.
Joisna's husband Shejin said he has no problem with Joisna living as a Christian until her death.
"We hoped that the verdict would be favourable. As two persons over the age of 18, we are permitted by law in India to live as we wish. The allegation that we were at the SDPI centre came while we were both at my father's brother's house. Such controversy spread at that time," she said.
The woman's father, Joseph, had moved a habeas corpus plea alleging that his daughter had been illegally detained and seeking directions to the police to produce her before him. He had also told news channels that since the day his daughter left her home, she has not spoken to any of them and therefore, he believed that she was being restrained against her will by the DYFI leader. Joseph had also said that he lacked faith in the Kerala Police to look into the matter and wanted an agency from outside the state, like the CBI or NIA, to investigate what had happened.
The interfaith relationship stirred up a political storm after the woman's relatives alleged "love jihad", with a senior Left party leader supporting the charge, only to retract his statement later.
The CPI(M), thereafter, made it clear that there was nothing unnatural in interfaith marriages and the campaign of 'love jihad' was a creation of RSS and Sangh Parivar.
(with ANI, PTI inputs)
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