Love jihad : NIA’s lookout notice against 2 witnesses

New Delhi : The National Investigation Agency told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it has ‘almost completed’ its probe into a contentious ‘love jihad’ phenomenon in Kerala except for the interrogation of two individuals — Fasal Musthafa and Shirin Shahana — who it feared have fled to Yemen.

The NIA submitted a sealed cover status report of its seven month-long investigation into the ‘love jihad’ issue, which was brought before the court by father of Akhila Ashokan aka Hadiya who converted to Islam and married Shafin Jahan. “Examination of two individuals namely Fasal Musthafa and Shirin Shahana, who are material and crucial witnesses in the case, is yet to be undertaken since these two witnesses are not available in India,” the NIA said. Represented by additional solicitor general Maninder Singh and advocate R Balasubramanian, NIA had contested the claim of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Shafin Jahan, that had questioned the love jihad story.

It was the HC which had flagged the love jihad phenomenon while dealing with the habeas corpus petition filed by Hadiya’s father K M Ashokan. While submitting its report on Wednesday, the NIA said: “It has been learnt by the NIA that Fasal Musthafa and Shirin Shahana have left India before the NIA took over the investigations as directed by the SC. It has been further learnt that these two witnesses are presently in Yemen. “The NIA got lookout circulars issued through competent authority. The investigation, barring the examination of these two crucial witnesses, is almost complete,” it said.

Source : TOI