Interfaith couple flees Jharkhand, gets married in Kerala, secures HC order on cop cover

KOCHI: Kerala HC Thursday granted police protection to an interfaith couple from Jharkhand who fled after threats from their families, sought refuge in the southern state and got married recently. A bench of Justice C S Dias issued the order on a petition filed by Asha Verma and Mohammad Galib, currently residing at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha.

HC also directed police to ensure that the petitioners were not forcibly taken back to their home state during pendency of the petition, after the couple alleged that their family, along with Jharkhand police, had arrived in Kerala and threatened them.

The petitioners stated that they hailed from Chitarpur in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, and had been in a relationship for 10 years. Fearing 'honour killing', they moved to Kerala on Feb 2 and got married on Feb 11 as per Islamic rites.