Jammu, May 4 - Hours after being dismissed from service for 'hiding' his marriage to a Pakistani woman, CRPF jawan Munir Ahmed said that he got married about a month after getting permission from the force's headquarters last year.
Ahmed, a resident of Jammu's Gharota area, who joined the CRPF in April 2017, said he would challenge his dismissal in court. "I am sure justice will be done," Ahmed said.
The Central Reserve Police Force has dismissed Ahmed on charges of 'hiding' his marriage to Pakistani woman Minal Khan and deliberately keeping her in India despite her visa expiry. The paramilitary force said his action was detrimental to national security.
"I initially came to know about my dismissal through media reports. I soon received a letter from the CRPF informing me of the dismissal. It was no less than a shock for me and my family, as I had sought the necessary permission for my marriage to a Pakistani woman and I was also given permission for it," Ahmed told PTI over phone from his home on Saturday. Ahmed's marriage to Khan came to light when India asked Pakistani nationals to leave the country as part of diplomatic measures taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. Minal Khan entered India through the Wagah-Attari border on February 28 and her short-term visa expired on March 22. However, the High Court stayed her deportation and she is currently staying at Ahmed's house in Jammu. Ahmed said, “I wrote the first letter on December 31, 2022, expressing my desire to get married to a Pakistani national and I was asked to complete the formalities like attaching copies of passport, marriage card and affidavit. I submitted my affidavit and the affidavits of my parents, Sarpanch and Zilla Vikas Parishad member through appropriate channels and finally got the approval from the headquarters on April 30, 2024.” The CRPF jawan said that he had applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC), but was told that no such provision was available and he had already completed the formalities by informing the government about his marriage to a foreign national as per the rules. Ahmed said, “We had got married online on May 24 last year through a video call. After this, I submitted the wedding photographs, ‘nikah’ papers and marriage certificate to my 72nd Battalion where I was posted.’’ Ahmed said, “When she (Minal Khan) first came on a 15-day visa on February 28, we applied for a long-term visa in March itself and completed the necessary formalities including an interview.” Ahmed said that the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court had provided him relief by staying his wife’s deportation at the last moment on Wednesday. Ahmed said that he returned to his duty at the end of his leave period. He was asked to report to the battalion headquarters at Sunderbani on March 25, but on March 27, he was handed over a transfer order and posted to the 41st Battalion at Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) without providing the mandatory joining period of 15 days.
“I was given a copy of the order and immediately relieved, leaving me with no option but to report for duty in Bhopal. I joined there on March 29. On reaching there, I faced an interview with the commanding officer and his deputy and also completed the documentary process, in which my marriage to a Pakistani woman was clearly mentioned,” Ahmed said. He also made an entry in his battalion data record book. The CRPF jawan said he would approach the court in the next few days to challenge his dismissal. “I hope justice will be done by the court,” he said.