Hindu man married Muslim woman, days after Kerala cops dragged her away from wedding venue.

Kerala police drag away Muslim bride minutes before an interfaith wedding with her Hindu groom. The Hindu-Muslim couple tied the knot after 48 hours. 

B Upendran | HENB | Thiruvananthapuram | June 20, 2023:: In a dramatic incident in Kerala, a young bride from her original Muslim faith was forcibly taken away from the Hindu groom by the police on Sunday evening minutes before the inter-faith couple was set to tie the knot at a temple near Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram.

The entire incident played out like some movie scene as visuals of the incident showed the bride, who was screaming she did not want to go, being pushed toward a private vehicle by police personnel outside Kovalam police station at the behest of the relatives of the bride as said.

The police even prevented the groom from going near her, according to the visuals.

One of the officers could also be seen and heard shouting at the screaming bride to get inside the vehicle and after she was pushed inside it, other officers also got in and drove away.

The couple on Monday told a TV channel that the woman — Alfia — was, thereafter, taken to a magisterial court where she gave a statement that she had left with the groom — Akhil — of her own free will and wanted to go with him.

“After recording my statement, I was allowed to leave with Akhil who had also reached there,” she said.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer of Alappuzha district said that there was a missing person complaint lodged in Kayamkulam police station and as part of it they had to produce the woman before a court there.

“The officers were directed to produce the woman before the court. So they were just doing their duty. Not aware of any use of force by them. The girl  told the court she wants to leave with the groom and she left with him,” the officer told PTI.

He also said he will look into whether there was any use of force by the officers involved.

Alfia, on the other hand, said that the police took her away despite she has already given a statement a few days back that she was leaving with Akhil, whom she knew for over a year, of her own free will to get married to him.

“The missing person complaint was lodged in Kayamkulam police station after that. It was done by my parents. They do not want me to live with him. They want to take me away,” she said.

Narrating what transpired just minutes before they were set to tie the knot, Akhil said, “The police arrived in two vehicles from Kayamkulam. They stopped the wedding from happening and forcibly dragged her away.

“At Kovalam police station also they did not allow me to go near her, pushed me away, and misbehaved with me. The police were not expected to behave in such a manner,” added Akhil.

However, this scary experience has only toughened their resolve to get married instead of dissuading them from going through with it.

Akhil also said that they will pursue the complaint against the police’ conduct.

In India, Muslim boys and girls are encouraged by their community to marry Hindus after converting to Islamic faith. But, when Hindu boys try to marry any Muslim girl through interfaith marriage, hard resistance always comes from the Muslim community to prevent it.

Accordingly, Alfia was put through tremendous hurdles not to marry Akhil anyway. But Akhil and Alifa set a record of marriage with courage and the beauty of love. Congratulation! Alfia and Akhil got married on Tuesday after overcoming all social barriers.

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__Inputs from PTI.