HC seeks state’s reply on plea filed by parents

Rajasthan high court on Tuesday directed the state government to reply by April 20 on a petition filed by parents of a Barmer woman who reportedly converted to Islam and married a Kashmiri man, keeping her family in the dark.

In their habeas corpus plea, parents of Ritu Khandelwal, 18, expressed concern over the safety of their daughter, and alleged police inaction despite a complaint being filed naming the accused.

Ritu went missing from her home on March 16. After her family registered a missing person’s report, police were informed that she was in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

According to police Ritu converted to Islam on December 27 last year and married Guljar Aahmad Khan on December 30 according to Islamic rituals. However, the woman continued to live with her parents until March 16 when she went missing.

Petitioners advocate Gokulesh Bohra told the court that Guljar Aahmad Khan, a native of Kashmir, who was working at a coffee cafe in Barmer, had took Ritu away with him on the day she went missing.

Victim’s parents alleged that Gulzar had been harassing Ritu and that they were clueless about her wellbeing. They feared that anything wrong could happen to her.

Hearing the plea, the court issued notice to the government seeking its reply.

On March 29 a police team went to Kashmir to trace and record Ritu’s statement, but returned back on Wednesday

BARMER:The

without any lead.

Barmer superintendent of police Gagandeep Singla said despite full cooperation from the Kashmir police they failed to trace the girl due to “tense situation” prevailing there.

Earlier, Barmer police received an order from the Jammu and Kashmir high court on March 22 to provide security to Ritu and her husband so that no harm is caused to them.

The high court passed the order on February 20, but it reached Barmer on March 22. The couple approached the court earlier seeking security.

According to the documents received by the police with the high court’s order, Ritu converted to Islam on her own will and became Zeenab.

The police also received a copy of the marriage registration certificate in which Gulzar is mentioned as her husband.