Athar Khan, who hails from Kashmir, had secured the second position in the UPSC civil services examination in 2015, while Tina Dabi had topped the civil service examination. Shafi belongs to Mattan town while Dabi is from Delhi. While Shafi had opted for his home state cadre and Dabi for Haryana, both got Rajasthan cadre of the IAS.
The duo tied knot in 2018. It was love at first sight for them. They had met at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) office in Delhi during the 2016 felicitation ceremony. The proximity between the two came to light when they posted a picture on social media, and again posted their wedding pictures on social media which circulated widely.
Couple's married life had recently hit the headlines after Dabi had removed 'Khan' from her surname on social media while Athar too had unfollowed Tina on Instagram.
Ahead of weeding in 2018 also, the couple were in headlines for their success and social backgrounds. The duo withstood criticism as they came from different religious background. When the media sought Dabi's reaction to it, she said: "I think it is a small price to pay for being in the public eye."
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While several political leaders including Rahul Gandhi had then extended wishes to the couple, the Hindu Mahasabha called Dabi’s decision a ‘love-jihad’. According to the report, the hindutva outfit, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha penned a letter to Tina’s father asking him to reconsider his decision to wed the two.