WUNRN
20
November 2007
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INDIA-Incest
Marriage-Father & Daughter Age 15-Angry Villagers |
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A Muslim who married his
15-year-old daughter and made her pregnant had to be rescued from angry
villagers in the Indian state of West Bengal, police say Afazuddin Ali, 36, has five children -
three of them daughters. A few months ago Ali married his eldest
daughter, telling his wife Sakina that Allah had ordained him to do so. Not convinced by his story, his angry
neighbours in Kasiajhiora village nearly lynched him for what they said was a
clear case of incest. Marriage within the nuclear family is
forbidden in Islam. 'Divine sanction' "He is a deeply religious man and will
never lie in the name of Allah," Sakina told a court in the northern
district of Jalpaiguri. "I agreed to his marriage with our
eldest daughter when he invoked divine sanction," she said. But this story has failed to impress the
other villagers. "We didn't know she was married so
when we confronted his wife, she told us about the bizarre marriage six
months ago," Sheikh Ramzan, a village leader at Kasiajhiora, said. "We wanted to smash his head, we were
so angry." When the angry mob attacked Ali on Sunday,
a police team went to the village and rescued Ali and his wife. The couple were produced before a
magistrate in Jalpaiguri on Monday. But as the lower court has no criminal
jurisdiction, Ali and his wife were released. "The police have not lodged any
specific charge against Afazuddin (Ali) and my court has no jurisdiction over
criminal matters, so what can I do," sub-divisional officer Atanu Roy
said. Angry villagers say that is not good
enough. "The girl is a minor, so at the very
least her father should face criminal charges for marrying a minor,"
villager Sheikh Ramzan said. Ali and his wife have not returned home
because they fear a fresh attack from angry villagers. They are staying in Jalpaiguri town at the
moment. |
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