Srinagar, August 1 (KDC) : The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the police to provide security to a Pulwama-based couple—both petitioners in the case—citing credible threat perception projected by them during their appearance before the court. The woman, originally from the Kashmiri Pandit community, had embraced Islam prior to marrying a local Muslim man—an act that has drawn strong reactions from sections of society.
The order came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by Niha Raina, now Fatima Mir, a Kashmiri Pandit woman who recently converted to Islam and married Sajad Ahmad Mir, a Muslim man from the same district.
A single bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, as per Srinagar based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com while presiding over the matter, took note of the sensitive circumstances surrounding the case. Earlier, the court had issued bailable warrants of ₹10,000 each after both petitioners failed to appear in accordance with a prior order. However, during Friday’s proceedings, both were present, and the court proceeded to record the statement of one of the key respondents.
A major development emerged during the hearing when it was revealed that petitioner No. 2, the husband, had concealed his earlier marriage in the main pleadings while seeking protection alongside his second wife. Though a brief mention of the second marriage had been made in an affidavit, the court observed that the omission of such a material fact amounted to concealment. The affidavit, submitted in a standardized format, also contained a statement from the woman asserting that she was the “legally wedded wife” and had not been coerced, a claim the court noted might have been made without full comprehension of the affidavit’s contents.
While refraining from commenting on the legality of the marriage, the court directed the appearance of other respondents on the next date for recording their statements before the Registrar Judicial. In view of the communal sensitivity surrounding the matter, Justice Nargal ordered that further proceedings be conducted in camera. The case has been listed for further hearing on August 26, and both petitioners have been directed to remain present on that date.
The court’s directions for security come amid escalating tensions following the couple’s marriage and public declaration of the woman’s conversion to Islam.
The controversy erupted on July 23, when Niha Raina, now Fatima Mir, posted a 17-second video on social media, announcing her conversion and asserting that her decision was voluntary. “I had always liked this religion. I was never forced to convert,” she said, with her head covered in a dupatta.
The video sparked widespread outrage within sections of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Her parents released a separate video, claiming she had been lured and brainwashed. The father, emotionally distressed, questioned the very idea of Kashmiriyat. The family’s appeal triggered a wave of support from Pandit community members, some of whom have since organized WhatsApp groups to “bring her back” and are now demanding the enactment of an anti-conversion law in Jammu and Kashmir.
Fatima, in response, released a second video, reiterating that she was an adult, aged 30, and fully capable of making her own life decisions. She said she had been married to Sajad Mir for three months and questioned why their marriage was being treated like a crime. “My parents never had an issue—until now,” she said, urging people to let them live in peace.
MLA Pulwama, Waheed Parra has called for sensitivity and restraint, stating, “It’s a very delicate matter. We are trying our best to ensure that the minorities don’t feel hurt.” (KDC)
