By Paojel Chaoba
IMPHAL, June 7: In a story that could have come straight out of a Bollywood romance formula film, a young couple is being chased by their parents using whatever influence and means they have. According to statements of the troubled newlyweds, the villain in this true story appears to be an MP of Assam and some officials of the Imphal Police Station, exposing in their actions the nexus amongst people holding high office.
Incumbent MP of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal has misused his political authority, he has fabricated charges of abduction to the Chief Minister of Manipur, Okram Ibobi Singh regarding a case of elopement. Manipur police has also been pressurized by the MP to search and arrest a married couple.
The charges have been made to the media today by Archiya Habib, 18, daughter of Md Chaidul Islam of Kamrup, Assam and her husband Shabaz Ahmed, 24, son of Samsuddin Ahmed of Amingao village, Kamrup district of Assam. According to the statement of the couple, they have been courting each other for the past year and finally decided to get married. As family members of the girl was against the marriage, they had made plans to get married in the court of the marriage officer of Kamrup district without knowledge of their parents. The court marriage was then conducted on April, 24 last.
Later, Shabaz Ahmed, the husband, came to Imphal on a business trip on May 20. He was staying with a friend at Khagempalli area. Archiya Habib also left her home and took a flight to Imphal on May 29. There, she was united with her husband and stayed at a friend`™s place. Afterwards, they informed their parents not to worry and that they were safe and sound at Imphal. A `Nikkah`™(Marriage) as per Muslim law was observed on the same day at Jamiatul Ulama at Babupara, Manipur.
Then, parents of the couple namely Dr Chaidul Islam and Samsuddin Ahmed came to meet them on June 2. They had assured the couple that both parents have agreed to the marriage and to come back with them to Assam, as the proper marriage could take place. At the time, the girl doubted the intentions of her father and had asked him to write a signed assurance that no harm would befall her and her husband or his family members, that her father would bear sole responsibility if any untoward incident occurred to the mentioned.( She had been informed that a case has been lodged against her husband on charges of abduction at Dispur police station).
Dr Chaidul then refused to give the assurance stating that such a stance of her daughter was outrageous. He verbally abused and had threatened her in presence of her husband and family members, friends etc. A person who came with the girl`™s father also had threatened to kill the couple at the spot and no one could anything to them. This was the first sign that her father did not have good intentions. Later, her father along with the boy`™s father left the place. They had thanked the local person for taking good care of their daughter.
Afterwards, the father called up MP, Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal to help in this matter ( Dr Chaidul works as Managing Director at the hospital which the MP owns, namely Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Hospital at Nagaon, Hojai). On June 4, the MP came to Imphal along with his entourage and stayed at Hotel Classic. He had talked over the phone with Archiya promising that nothing would happen to the couple and they would be married by the MP himself.
`First we believed the Maulana, as he was a man of God ! But, we came to know later that he had called up the Kaji(Priest) who married us and had threatened him for performing the Nikkah. So, we has our apprehensions to go to him,` Archiya said. Then, some local friends representing the couple went to meet the MP at Hotel Classic. They were told that the marriage would be performed after the boy and girl have stayed with their parents for a week. Someone among the MP`™s entourage had hinted the locals that they only wanted the girl and not the boy and there would be an `incentive`™ for making the couple agree.
As such, the couple did not go for the arranged appointment as the motive of the MP was doubtful. On June 5, the MP along with one local MLA and some friends met the Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh. Badaruddin then had intimated the Chief Minister that the girl was abducted, it was learnt from reliable sources that the matter was intimated by the CM to other top level police officers of the Imphal Police Station. Then, a police hunt for the couple started.
A police team came that evening to the Khagempalli residence, where the couple was put up by their friends. As the duo was not found, the lady investigating officer had rudely told the local family members `why they were protecting Assamese people?`™ This officer had summoned a local couple who was sheltering the Assamese duo to come to the police station the next day. She has insisted that Shabaz and Archiya should come to the police station by 2 pm of July 5.
Archiya Habib had moved a domestic case against her parents at the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal West under section 23 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. The magistrate has passed an interim relief for Archiya and a copy of the order was sent to the OC of Imphal Police Station, Mr Shantikumar. Some lawyers who had submitted the papers on behalf of Archiya was questioned by the inspector and asked of her whereabouts. The lawyer also told him that the couple was at the Paona Bazar office of Human Rights Law Network.
After half an hour, a huge police team along with some Assamese people rushed into the lawyers office and conducted a search operation inside the office and other adjoining rooms. But, the couple had already fled the premises. Afterwards, a police team came to the residence of one Mr Dicky of Khagempalli Panthak. The combined Assam and Manipuri police searched the house, questioned the women of the house and took phone numbers. One policeman had even harassed the women of the house saying that `it remains to be seen how influential your family is!`™
Later, this reporter was approached by the couple to help them as they were going to be forcibly taken away by the MP with the strong arm tactics of Manipur Police. On June 6, Imphal Free Press called up the MP and asked him of his role, but he insisted that his name should not appear in the media and he had come only to help in the matter.The next day, the MP left Imphal. Even then, it was found that the Police was constantly keeping up pressure to catch the couple.
`Despite all this, father came and refused to give written assurance, later the MP utilizing his political power and money power came to Imphal, we have been threatened by the police and have been searching for us, we suspect that they have been paid off, despite all the evidence , my statements to court etc. why are they constantly harassing us. We have deposed before Police in form of an affidavit through the Oath Commisioner on June 1 last, that I have not been abducted and we are husband and wife.` Archiya said.
The duo further said, `Is this the way that politicians care for the public, isn`™t the police there to help the innocent, to protect us ? In this democratic country, don`™t we have the right to live our own lives the way we want? We have lost trust in the judiciary, the police due to their actions. We humbly appeal to the press to carry the message of truth, so that people like us do not suffer in future from such misuse of authority.` The couple is presently filing a petition at Manipur High Court to seek protection and recognition of their marital status. They are still in hiding.
The police department refrains from commenting on this case.