Hadiya finally gets to speak to her husband; 'she's relieved from depression', says college dean

Hadiya's long-standing desire to communicate with her husband Shafin Jahan came true when she was allowed to speak to himover a mobile phone on Wednesday.

This happened a day after she reached Salem, Tamil Nadu, to resume her studies at the Sivaraj Homeopathy medical college after Supreme Court's direction. Hadiya, 25, communicated with her husbandusing the college dean's mobile phone.

"Hadiya talked to Jahanfor 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.

Hadiya was brought to the institution from Coimbatore last evening. The woman from Kerala confessed to not having a mobile phone to contact her husband. However, she was in touch with her parents. Over the last few days, Hadiya had been expressing a strong desire to communicate with her husband.

Hadiya has been in the news recently after her conversion to Islam and marriage with Shafin Jahanin Kerala. The Kerala High Court had annulled her marriage, calling it an instance of 'love jihad', following which her husband approached the Supreme court. Hadiya stayed at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks until the top court freed her from her parents' custody and allowed her to travel to Tamil Nadu for her studies.

Hadiya has been enrolled in her earlier name (Hindu name - Akhila Ashokan) at the college. She stated that she will be able to communicate better with the media after receiving the Supreme Court's order.

"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 an 11-month internship.

Hadiya will be allowed to go out to the market once a week. She will be accompanied by hostel wardens. College Administrator Kalpana Shivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course. A sub-inspector and four constables will be part of her security.

"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," noted the college dean who has been appointed as Hadiya's guardian.

The NIA is presently investigating the case.

(With inputs from PTI)