Can't compromise Hadiya's safety, will move SC against college, says father

Kottayam/Salem: Hadiya's father KM Ashokan on Wednesday said that he would move the Supreme Court against Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College in Salem for allowing her to hold a news conference. 

He also questioned the college dean for allowing Hadiya to meet her Muslim husband Shefin Jehan in a few days, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

“The highest court of the country has sent her to the college to complete her education in a safe environment. If Jehan who has got an extremist link meets her it will compromise my daughter’s safety,” Ashokan was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

“It seems the college is not taking enough measures to ensure her safety. I don’t want my daughter to revive her relations with Jehan who has got good connections with extremist elements like Islamic State. My whole fight is to block an extremist’s entry into my family,” he said.

Ashokan held the college responsible for allowing Hadiya's interaction with the media and questioned how a student could be allowed to do so.

"My biggest concern now is over sending my daughter to such a college. If the college can make arrangements to conduct a news conference what will they do tomorrow," he asked. 

"I have no other way other than to approach the court. I have already initiated the necessary action," he said.

Meanwhile, the college dean G Kannan allowed Hadiya to talk to her husband over mobile phone on Wednesday, fulfilling a long pending desire of the student.

"Hadiya talked to Jahan (her husband) for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody,” college dean G Kannan told reporters.

The 25-year-old was brought to the institution amid tight security by Kerala police from Coimbatore, about 170 km from Salem on Tuesday evening.

The dean said, "She appeared to be relieved from depression after talking to him (husband). There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody."

Hadiya also expressed regret for the tense situation prevailing in the college and inconvenience to students due to her, Kannan said.

Stating that she has not given any application to change her name, he said she has applied on her earlier name (Hindu name-Akhila Ashokan) for internship.

However, there was some confusion about where and with whom to send her during the college holidays, Kannan said adding the management will approach the apex court in this regard.

All rules and regulations and restrictions of the college will apply to her and once a week, she will be allowed to go out with the hostel wardens to buy whatever she requires, he said.

Meanwhile, the college administrator Kalpana Shivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course.

"For the past six months, I was talking to persons I did not like (parents) because of their harassment during my stay with them," Hadiya told reporters earlier at the college, where she will be undergoing a 11-month internship.

The apex court, after the proceedings, had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and asked her to pursue her studies.

She further said she will be able to communicate better with the media persons after receiving the copy of the Supreme Court order.

The court has appointed the Dean of the college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem.

Hadiya has been in the news recently after her conversion to Islam and marriage with the Muslim youth in Kerala.