Bindu, mother of Kerala woman Nimisha alias Fatima, who was feared to have been forcefully converted to Islam and taken to Iran to join ISIS, now seeks an NIA probe in phenomenon of ‘love jihad’ in Kerala.

In a recent development in the Hadiya – Akhila case which is under consideration of the Supreme Court, the mother of a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) absconder has filed an application to implead her in the case.

Bindu Sampath is the mother of Nimisha, who after converting to Islam, changed her name to Fathima and soon after, went missing. Bindu wants the Supreme Court to direct the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to investigate forced conversion cases in the country . Â

She is also seeking an extensive investigation into the phenomenon of alleged ‘love jihad’ in Kerala.Love jihad is a term used by right-wing Hindu groups to describe inter-faith marriages which they say is an Islamist conspiracy to convert Hindu women through marriage or coercion.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

1 – Bindu alleges that Hadiya-Akhila case in which the Hindu girl Akhila Ashokan converted to Islam and married a Muslim guy Shefin Jahan is a case of indoctrination of to fight for jihad.

2 – Bindu’s daughter Nimisha alias Fathima also married a Muslim guy after conversion and later went to Iran under the pretext of moving to Sri Lanka for business. She and her husband are believed to be among the 24 people who have reportedly joined ISIS from India.

3 – Chief Justice of India Deepak Mishra allowed Binda’s advocate to file the application in Hadiya-Akhila case in which the apex court has already ordered an NIA probe.

4 – Earlier, the Kerala government had filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court, mentioning that there was no need of an NIA probe. The investigation conducted by the local police and state crime branch was satisfactory, the affidavit read.

5 – Last week, the Supreme Court said that it will examine whether a High Court can annul a marriage while hearing a plea by the parents of a girl who had married a boy from a different religion.

6 – The bench also wondered whether the 24-year-old woman could be forced to live in her father’s custody. The apex court said that it will examine the issues in the course of the hearing of an application by Jahan seeking the recall of an earlier order by which the court had entrusted the investigation into the entire matter to the NIA.

7 – Hadiya’s marriage to Jahan was annulled by the Kerala High Court following a petition from her parents.

8 – The apex court then intervened and asked the NIA to probe the marriage after doubts were raised as this was a case of “love jihad”. Jahan has in turn pleaded with the Supreme Court to cancel the NIA probe.

9 – According to sources, Hadiya, who was known as Akhila before conversion, is holed up at her house near Kottayam, forcibly by her parents.

10 – Given the BJP’s aggressive plans to be popular in Kerala, politics over the alleged ‘love jihad’ cases – a term coined by the RSS – will continue in the southern state.