Married Pak woman only after getting permission from CRPF, says dismissed trooper

 Jammu: Hours after being dismissed from service for concealing his marriage with a Pakistani woman, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper Munir Ahmed said he solemnised his marriage nearly a month after getting permission from the force's headquarters last year.

According to a PTI report, Ahmed, a resident of Gharota area of Jammu who had joined CRPF in April 2017, said he will challenge his dismissal in the court of law. He expressed optimism that he will get justice.

The CRPF has dismissed Ahmed for "concealing" his marriage with a Pakistani woman named Minal Khan and knowingly harbouring her beyond the validity of her visa, deeming his actions to be detrimental to national security.

Ahmad told PTI that he initially came to know about his dismissal through media reports. “I shortly received a letter from the CRPF informing me about the dismissal which came as a shock to me and my family as I have sought and received permission for my marriage to a Pakistani woman from the headquarters,” he added.

Ahmed and Khan’s marriage came to light after India asked Pakistani nationals to leave the country as part of diplomatic measures taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 people were killed.

Khan entered India through the Wagah-Attari border on February 28 and her short-term visa ended on March 22. However, after her deportation was stayed by the High Court, she is presently staying in Ahmed's Jammu residence. “I made the first correspondence on December 31, 2022 informing my wish to marry the Pakistani national and I was asked to complete formalities like enclosing copies of passport, marriage card and affidavits,” he said.

"I submitted my affidavit and also the affidavits of my parents, sarpanch, and district development council member through proper channels and finally got a go ahead from the headquarters on April 30, 2024,” he added.

The CRPF trooper said he applied for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) but was told that such a provision is not available and he has already completed the formalities by informing the government about his marriage to a foreign national in accordance with the rules. According to Ahmed, he married Khan on May 24 last year through a video call. Subsequently, he submitted marriage pictures, 'Nikkah' papers and marriage certificate to 72 Battalion where he was posted.

"When she came for the first time on February 28 on a 15-day visa, we applied for Long Term Visa in March itself and completed the necessary formalities including interview,” he said, highlighting that this paved the way for the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to provide relief to them by staying his wife's deportation at the last moment on Wednesday.

Ahmed said that he returned to his duties at the end of his leave period and was asked to report to the battalion headquarters at Sunderbani on March 25 but on March 27, "I was handed over a transfer order and posted with 41st Battalion at Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) without providing 15 days mandatory joining period,” he added.

“I was given the order copy and relieved immediately, leaving me with no option but to join my duties at Bhopal where I joined on March 29. I faced the interview of the commanding officer and his deputy on reaching there and also completed the documentation process, clearly mentioning my marriage to a Pakistani woman, he said. Ahmed noted that he had even made the entry in his battalion data record book.

The CRPF trooper said he will be moving the court in the next few days to challenge his dismissal.