Kerala love jihad case: NIA questions PFI women's wing chief Sainaba

Highly placed sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed to India Today that the agency sleuths recorded statement of AS Sainaba, national president of the women's wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), in connection with the controversial Hadiya case.

India Today TV had shown an elaborate sting operation last month exposing Sainaba where she made candid admissions to alleged forced conversions taking place in Kerala.

She was as per sources interrogated on Sunday. This is ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the high profile 'love jihad' case on November 27, where Akhila alias Hadiya will be produced before the apex court.

Sources said, a team from Kochi visited Sainaba at her residence in Malappuram and recorded her statement on inter faith marriages and conversion of non-Muslims to Islam.

It is also learnt that NIA sleuths also questioned her about the India Today sting. A high ranking official was rushed to Kochi to monitor the questioning.

She has reportedly denied her role and that of the PFI in forced conversions.

While all eyes are set on the Hadiya case, the state of Kerala in the meantime has also referred 89 cases of alleged "interfaith marriages" between Muslim men and Hindu women.

Amidst a raging debate on free consent of an adult to marry, the NIA told the apex court that "an indoctrinated person may be incapable of giving free consent to marriage."

With less than a week before her appearence, the probe agency has recorded the statement of Hadiya and her husband Shafin Jahan, who had approached the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court's ruling of nullifying their marriage.

Hadiya's father Ashokan KM's statement was taken much earlier.

Meanwhile it is learnt that Ashokan has moved application in apex court demanding an in-camera proceeding of the case.