Four weeks after a girl from a Southeast Delhi area went “missing”, her father has moved a Delhi court alleging that the girl is “a minor and was forcibly converted” to Islam and married to a Muslim youth.
In his plea before Metropolitan Magistrate Navjeet Budhiraja, the girl’s father has claimed that his daughter’s nikahnama and mehar certificate — the money paid by the groom specified in the Islamic marriage — and the conversion certificate issued by an Imam are allegedly based on a false date of birth.
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It began as a kidnapping case, registered with Delhi Police on May 8, after the girl went missing from her school in a Southeast Delhi area. She returned a month later apparently having married the Muslim man. The father has moved court asking for an investigation into what he calls an illegal marriage. However, the court has sent the girl, who returned on May 23, to Nirmal Chaya, a short-stay shelter run by the department of social welfare after her statement to the court contradicted her father’s. She told the court that all her actions were voluntary.
In his plea, her father said, “I suspected that a Muslim boy, a neighbour, kidnapped my daughter. The police then conducted a raid and certain documents relating to the change of my daughter’s religion and her marriage came to my notice. I was shocked that she was forced to marry, despite being a minor.”
According to him, the Muslim boy’s family put pressure on her. “She has made a false statement against us because she has been under duress. She has told us the real story of how she was coerced into getting married to him.”
After her first statement, the parents again moved the Delhi court on Saturday, stating that the police further investigate the Muslim boy and his parents and again record the girl’s statement.
Arguing before magistrate Budhiraja, counsel for the parents, Rahul Raj Malik, said: “We have the documents of the religious conversion issued by the Imam, which falsely states that she was born in 1997. The date has been chosen in a way that shows that she had just attained the age of 18 when she converted. Also, based on this false document, a marriage certificate has been issued. She is still a minor and she cannot take any independent decisions, whether on the question of marriage or conversion… The police need to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against them.”
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To corroborate the argument, the counsel produced the girl’s school identity card and her mark sheets. After hearing the submissions, the court summoned the principal of the school to ascertain the claim of the parents on the issue of age. “Right now I cannot give directions to the police to investigate further on your allegation. Let me ascertain the age,” the court said. The court will now take up the matter on June 19.
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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