Payal Singhvi, 22, who completed M.Com. and was preparing for Rajasthan Administrative Services exam., reverted to Islam in April this year and married Faiz Modi of Jodhpur, Rajasthan on 14 April. After marriage, Payal, now Arifa, resided at her parents’ residence and hid her new identity as well as marriage from them. On 25 October 2017, she left her parents’ home.
On 30 October, Chirag Singhvi, brother of Payal Singhvi alias Arifa, filed a Habeas Corpus Petition in the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur that his sister had eloped from their house on 25th this month. He alleged that he went to the Pratap Nagar Police Station to file an FIR but the SHO told him that his sister Payal Singhvi had made an application to the Commissioner of Police, Jodhpur Metro, saying that after conversion of religion her marriage was solemnised with Faiz Modi as per Muslim custom; the SHO eventually refused to register an FIR.
The double bench, comprising Hon’ble Mr. Justice Gopal Krishan Vyas and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Manoj Kumar Garg, while hearing the petition, sent for the SHO Achal Singh who produced the photocopy of Nikhnama and an affidavit stating her conversion to Islam, which was handed over by Faiz Modi and Arifa before the Commissioner of Police and forwarded to him. The court issued orders to file an FIR and produce Payal before it on 1st November 2017.
On next hearing, Payal (Arifa) presented herself before the court and admitted that she had come to the court as per her own will and was forced by none. Meanwhile, a few activists, belonging to VHP and Bajrang Dal, gathered outside the court and chanted provocative slogans against Muslims. “All the documents filed before the Police to prove the conversion of religion by Payal Singhvi are doubtful and self-contradictory, therefore, cannot be established the fact of marriage,” ruled the court. The court further raised a question: “Whether without any procedure or rule conversion of religion can be changed or not so also in this case whether the fact of ‘Nikah’ of Payal Singhvi is established on the basis of ‘self-contradictory’ documents on record or not.”
Now, Payal Singhvi (Arifa) has been sent to Nari Niketan (Women’s Asylum) by the court which ordered the IO to investigate the validity of the documents produced and asked the police to provide protection for the families of Faiz as well as Payal.
Fiz Modi’s Father Aijaz Modi refused to respond to the media. According to reliable sources, Aijaz is afraid and doesn’t want to talk to anyone, even not responding to the phone calls. The girl’s brother Chirag Singhvi alleged that his sister was being blackmailed as she loved her parents too much and used to sing bhajans at Sai Baba’s temple, at the ground floor of their house. He called it a case of ‘love jihad’ and that his sister was brainwashed or was under certain threat that she went with the boy who had nothing that could attract a girl of her status.
The court observed that while the girl was residing with her family till 25 October, how it was possible that she had converted in April and married to Faiz Modi.
Earlier, Mr. Justice Gopal Krishna Vyas heard a PIL filed against the state government which ordered all government colleges to organise Blood Donation Camp on the day of Eidul Azha, curtailing the gazetted holiday. Then he rejected the PIL, saying: “This (the blood donation camp) will surely go on, as it is a noble work and if it happens on the day of Eid, it is better.”
The court has sent the girl to Nari Niketan. The boy’s father has been assured by somebody that on 7th November, the next hearing, everything will be OK and your son will return home with his wife. He has been advised to avoid media till then.