SC orders NIA probe into Kerala Hindu girl's marriage, conversion to Islam

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the conversion and marriage of a Hindu girl in Kerala in 2016.

Justice R V Ravindran, a retired judge of the apex court, will supervise the investigation.

Ordering the probe, a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said before taking a final call, the court "shall require the presence of the girl".

The bench said it would decide the issue after getting inputs from all, including the NIA, Kerala government and others.

The order came after Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, Shafeen Jahan, said the court should decide the issue after speaking to the girl.

The marriage of the converted girl with Jahan was nullified by the Kerala High Court.

Petitioner Jahan has moved the top court challenging the High Court's decision.

The court order came as the bench was told that the NIA has in its preliminary probe found that there was a pattern as "entities" in two cases that have come to light were the same.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising told the bench that it was an inter-religious matter and the court must be careful.