Dean allows Hadiya to speak with husband

Salem: Hadiya’s wish to speak with her husband was fulfilled on Wednesday. A day after she arrived here to continue studies at the Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College, as directed by the Supreme Court, Hadiya spoke to her husband over the college dean’s mobile phone.

“Hadiya talked to Shafin Jahan (her husband) for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody,” said G Kannan, the college dean.

Hadiya is in the centre of a ‘love jihad’ controversy after her conversion to Islam and marriage with a Muslim youth in Kerala. Earlier when reporters asked about her husband, Hadiya said she was not in contact with him for the last few months as she did not have a mobile phone and the only people she spoke to were her parents.

“For the past six months, I was talking to people I did not like (parents) because of their harassment during my stay with them,” Hadiya told reporters. The dean said: “She appeared relieved after talking to him (husband). There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody.”

Hadiya also expressed regret for the tense situation prevailing in the college and the inconvenience to students, Kannan said. Stating that she has not given any application to change her name, Kannan said she has applied using her earlier name (Akhila Ashokan) for the internship.

Hadiya also said that she will be able to communicate better with the media after receiving a copy of the Supreme Court order. There is some confusion about where and with whom she would spend her holidays, Kannan said, adding that the management will approach the apex court in this regard.

All rules and regulations and restrictions of the college will apply to her also and weekly once she will be allowed to go out for buying what she requires, along with the hostel wardens, he said. Meanwhile, college administrator Kalpana Sivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course. One sub-inspector and four constables – two women and two men – have been deployed for her security.