Now notifying govt prior to interfaith marriage, religious conversion mandatory in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that submission of documents to the district collector prior to an interfaith marriage and religious conversion is mandatory.

Additional Advocate General Shivkumar Vyas said that a Rajasthan high court bench has issued guidelines on submitting documents prior to marriage and religion conversion.

The development comes after a migrant labourer from West Bengal was hacked to death in Rajasthan early this month over 'love jihad', which refers to religious conversion by feigning love by one of the partners.

Besides announcing a Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family of the victim, the Vasundhara Raje government had also set up a SIT team to probe the killing and find out if there was any communal angle linked to it.

The incident came to light after a horrifying video emerged showing a man, identified as Afrajul from West Bengal, being brutally hacked to death and set on fire in Rajasamand district, for allegedly committing 'love jihad'.

The issue of 'love jihad' has been in the news of late. While some have raised serious concern, others have decided to take the matter to courts.

In another case of 'love jihad', the Supreme Court had recently ordered an NIA probe in a case of religious conversion of a Kerala woman after marriage.

The matter had landed in court after the father alleged that his daughter was converted to Islam through 'love jihad' following her marriage.

Ordering the probe, the apex court directed the authorities to investigate whether there was a pattern of ‘love jihad’ in the case.

Hadiya Shefin, 25 years old and a homeopathic doctor, had converted to Islam last year after marrying Shafin Jahan, who is accused of having terror links.

Shefin was put in the protective custody of her parents after the Kerala High Court annulled her marriage on charges of 'love jihad'.