HC orders probe into Muslim charitable institute's antecedents

The Kerala High Court has ordered a police probe into the "antecedents" of a Muslim educational and charitable organisation on a retired army man's charge that it was an "illegal Islamic conversion centre" and his 24-year old daughter was "wrongfully" confined there and planned to go to Syria.
A bench comprising Justices K Surendra Mohan and Mary Joseph in its order yesterday after interacting with the woman and her parents who appeared in the court, directed the police to investigate antecedents of Sathya Sarani in Manjeri in Malappuram district and also about her local guardian A S Sainaba, a woman.

Posting the matter to September 9, the court asked the police to accommodate the woman in a hostel in Ernakulam here till then and submit its probe report within ten days.
The woman, who has recently completed her homeopathy course, told the judges that on being attracted to tenets of Islam she studied a two-month religious course at Sathya Sarani's Markazul Hidaya and converted to Islam.
She was staying in the house of Sainaba and did not want to go with her parents.
Petitioner Asokan had alleged that Sathya Sarani was an illegal Islamic conversion centre run by Popular Front of India, an organisation founded by the leaders of SIMI when it was banned by the Union government.

He claimed that his daughter had phoned him on July 11 and during the conversation she had "inadvertently disclosed that she has plans to go to Syria for sheep-rearing".

He claimed that taking new converts to Syria for terrorist activity and join ISIS in the pretext of sheep-rearing was a well-known tactics of Islamic extremist organisations in Kerala.
Directing the investigating officer to thoroughly probe all relevant aspects of the case, including allegations made in the petition, the bench ordered that the police should also verify whether the woman had been issued with a passport.
The bench noted that the woman said she came under the influence of Islam, having heard of the teachings thereof from her room mates. Being attracted to the tenets of the religion, she wanted to embrace Islam, it said.

To study more about the religion, she had joined Sathya Sarani and underwent a course of two-months duration, it said. She has completed the course and claims to have become a Muslim by conversion, it said.
"Her main objection is that her parents do not accept her as a devout Muslim. Her parents pleaded with her in our presence to accompany them, assuring that they have accepted her in her present condition. But, she refused to accompany them," the bench said.
"In view of the allegations contained in the writ petition, we are not satisfied that the detenue should be allowed to accompany the 7th respondent (Sainaba)," the court said.

It ordered the Circle Inspector of Police, Nilambur, to escort the woman along with a woman constable to the SNV Sadanam Hostel, Ernakulam, where she shall be accommodated until the next date of hearing.
The petitioner and the mother of the woman were permitted to meet her and interact with her subject to the rules and regulations of the hostel. No other person shall be permitted to meet or interact with her.
She shall not be permitted to have a mobile phone or to use the same, the court said.