A Khar resident, who was set to marry a Muslim man, was allegedly harassed by two men and a woman, who were ‘successful in brainwashing the parents, especially the father as he is now against the interfaith wedding’. Activist Teesta Setalvad has offered legal help to the woman.
The incident has come to light a day after a Nashik family was forced to cancel the wedding rituals of their 28-year-old Hindu daughter to a Muslim man, following the leaking of couple’s wedding invitation card on WhatsApp. The protesters termed the marriage a case of ‘love jihad‘.
According to a report in Mid-day, the woman told that police that being an adult, no one has the right to object to her personal decision. Narrating her ordeal, she said that the trio had come to her Khar West home and tried to brainwash her against marrying her fiance. While she stuck to her decision, they were able to scare her parents.
The Khar resident then informed the police, who called the three people but only the men came and claimed they visited her home to enquire about her father’s health, the report stated. The men categorically denied being accompanied by any woman. When the officers called the woman’s father, he told the police that he had no complaint against the men.
The report quoted sources in police as saying that the two men and the family belong to the same community. Their statements were recorded and they were warned against interfering with the lives of the woman or her family, an officer said. No FIR was registered.
Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad, who has offered legal help to the woman, said that the incident was disturbing and shocking. “It is most disturbing and shocking that such incidents are being allowed to take place through an organised nexus between the registry and gangs of people associated with organisations opposed to freedom of choice,” she was quoted as saying by Mid-day.
“Our organisations, Citizens for Justice and Peace in Mumbai and Dhanak, have been in consistent correspondence with the Maharashtra chief secretary since January 11, 2021, urging the government to comply with and issue directions for the implementation of the order of the Allahabad High Court. The HC had ruled that the notice publication of intended interfaith marriage is not mandatory under the Special Marriage Act. It held that this would be an invasion of a couple’s privacy and would cause unnecessary social pressure/interference in their free choice,” the activist said.
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