Not averse to inter-faith, inter-caste marriages, says SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it was "not averse to inter-faith and inter-caste marriages" after the father of a woman who married a Muslim man moved it against the Chhattisgarh High Court order which had allowed the couple to live together.

A bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice M R Shah said: "We are not averse to interfaith marriages. Hindu-Muslim marriages are acceptable. If they marry each other under the law, why should there be problems?"

A 33-year-old Muslim man had last year converted to Hinduism to marry a 23-year-old Hindu woman in Chhattisgarh.

The father of the woman, however, has alleged that he has now reconverted to Islam.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the woman's father, said he has filed an appeal in the top court as the marriage was a sham and the result of a racket.

Rohatgi apprised the court of a racket which is being operated in the name of inter-faith marriages and asked the top court to look into it.

Senior lawyers Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the man who converted to Hinduism for the marriage, and Gopal Shankarnarayan representing the woman, cited from the Supreme Court's order in Kerala's Hadiya case while opposing an investigation into the marriage.

Sankaranarayanan told the Bench that his client does not need any protection except from her father.

The bench has slated the matter for further hearing on September 24 and sought the response from the state government.

The apex court also clarified that it will not investigate the marriage and only wanted to ensure that the woman's interests are protected in peculiar facts of the case.

"We are not against such relationships... but only on how to protect the woman. We do get concerned about the future of the women and that is why we want to make our efforts to secure her future," it added.