OVER A month after 23-year-old Reshma was allegedly kidnapped in Navi Mumbai by her relatives over her inter-faith marriage, she was reunited with her husband Iqbal Chaudhary Wednesday after she appeared in Bombay High Court and stated that she would like to go with her husband. Iqbal had filed a habeas corpus petition through advocate Hasnain Kazi seeking that his wife be produced before court after she was “kidnapped” in December. On January 23, Reshma had appeared before the court after which the court stayed the investigation against the accused including her relatives. After Reshma told the court that she wanted to return to her husband, she also sought that criminal proceedings against her relatives be dropped since her parents and other relatives were being “unnecessarily harassed”. The court said it would consider the request after 10 days if the couple renewed the request. Reshma also told the court that she wanted to register her marriage. While a nikah had taken place, the marriage was not registered. “Taking into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we permit the parties to make an application for registration of marriage. The said application should be made on February 8, 2018 before the Registrar of Marriages at Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai,” the court said. It further directed the authorities to waive the prescribed one month notice and grant registration to the couple within a week. According to Iqbal, after the extension sought by his wife’s family on January 23, he was not sure if he would ever get to see her again. “Even on February 7, when my mother and I went to court, she was nowhere to be seen. But eventually she came and told me they had come with another affidavit to extend her stay at her parents,” he said. While Iqbal is elated with the return of his wife, he said, “I have to get our marriage registered as soon as possible. Her family had been holding that over us and I don’t want to give them a chance again.” Meanwhile, Reshma refused to comment and conveyed through her husband that after the birth of their child, she would like to complete her law degree. The court will hear the matter again on February 16.
