'Muslim by choice, want to live with husband': Hadiya to SC
New Delhi: Kerala's Hadiya has told the Supreme Court today that she is a Muslim and wants to live as one. She has requested judges in an affidavit that she be allowed to live with her husband Shafin Jehan, who she married after she converted to Islam.
"I embraced Islam on my choice as per my conscience and on my own free will, after studying about Islam and thereafter I married Shafin Jahan. I further pray that this court may be kind enough to appoint my husband as my guardian," said Hadiya, adding that she "continues to live in confinement."
Hadiya, a 24-year-old homeopathy student, was born Hindu and was called Akhila Ashokan before she converted to Islam and changed her name. Her case has been labelled as "love jihad" by her parents and others; it is a term used by right wing groups to accuse Muslim men of marrying Hindu women, converting them and recruiting them for terrorism.
Hadiya's marriage to Shafin Jahan was annulled by the Kerala High Court last year after her parents alleged that she had been brainwashed and forced to convert to Islam in a plan by terror group ISIS to indoctrinate and take her to Syria.
Shafin Jahan had appealed in the Supreme Court against the high court order cancelling their marriage. The top court had directed the NIA to investigate whether there are any terror links to the case.
In her affidavit today, Hadiya has said that she has been "under confinement without the freedom that I am entitled to. Even now I am under police surveillance. I most humbly pray that my entire liberty may kindly be restored to me."
A marriage has to be separated from any criminal action, aspect or conspiracy, "otherwise we will be creating bad precedent", a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had said.
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Air India orders probe into video of former cabin crew sitting in aircraft cockpit
New Delhi (PTI): Air India has started an internal probe regarding a video showing a former cabin crew member seated inside the cockpit of an airborne aircraft.
"We are aware of a video circulating on social media that shows a former Air India cabin crew member seated inside the cockpit," the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the video, widely shared on social media, the cabin crew in uniform is sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft and another person is recording the cabin crew, inside of the cockpit and the outside view.
A source said the cabin crew member left the airline last month.
"While we are verifying the authenticity of the video, we have initiated an internal investigation to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the video," the airline said.
Air India also said that it would take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigation to ensure complete adherence to all safety and operational protocols.
Cabin crew are not allowed to sit in the seat of pilots or cockpit crew, especially when an aircraft is airborne.
"Air India has strict protocols governing access to the cockpit, and any deviation from these standards is treated with utmost seriousness," the airline said.
