The Kerala High Court granted police protection to a same-sex couple who were facing threats from henchmen allegedly hired by their parents. The Court passed the interim order in the habeas corpus petition filed by a woman Sumayya who sought the release of her partner Afeefa from her family. On Friday, Justice PV Kunhikrishnan directed the police to provide protection to the couple. The HC also directed Kerala government and Afeefa's parents to respond. The HC then posted the case for hearing on July 21.
The couple belong to Muslim families in Malappuram district. The couple met when they were studying in Class 11 in 2019. They started developing a relationship soon. This year, the couple eloped from their houses and started to live together in Ernakulam on January 27.
The women eloped since their parents reportedly objected to their relationship. Later, the families separately registered missing complaints at the local police station. However, the couple moved the Malappuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court which gave the order to let them live together on January 29. However, the problem started after Afeefa's parents forcefully took her away after coming to their house on May 30, as per a report on Hindustan Times.
Following this, Sumayya registered a habeas corpus petition in the HC. She had stated that Afeefa was missing. Afeefa's lawyers told the court that she went with her parents of her own will. It was only later that Sumayya and her lawyer found out that Afeefa was drugged and made to give the statements.
Sumayya's counsel has also decided to move for legal action against a private hospital in Kozhikode that tried to perform 'conversion therapy' on Afeefa.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC), the medical regulatory body of the state, issued an order banning conversion therapy performed on LGBTQIA+ persons to "cure" them
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