Madhya Pradesh High Court Denies Police Protection, Marriage Registration to Inter-Faith Couple

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the plea of an inter-faith couple seeking police protection and marriage registration.

The court stated that according to Muslim law, a union between a Muslim man and a woman of another faith, such as a “fire-worshipper,” is not considered valid.

The bench, led by Justice G Ahluwalia, remarked that even if such a marriage is registered under the Special Marriage Act, it remains irregular and not valid under Muslim law.

The petitioners, Sarika Sen (23) and Safee Khan (23), from Anuppur district, had requested police protection and registration of their marriage under the Special Marriage Act. They expressed their intention to maintain their respective religions after marriage. However, the court dismissed their pleas, noting that they had not indicated a willingness to convert or enter into a live-in relationship.

The couple’s lawyer, Dinesh Upadhyay, mentioned that the couple faced pressure from the woman’s parents, relatives and a group called Hindu Dharm Sena. This pressure hindered their ability to attend marriage hearings. Upadhyay revealed that the couple had initially applied to the Anuppur district magistrate for marriage permission, and their case is still pending.