Thiruvananthapuram: There is an alarming number of girls missing in Kerala after they convert and marry persons of different religions, according to Ms Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the National Commission for Women.
During her three-day visit to Kerala, she received 60 petitions from the parents of girls who had allegedly gone missing after marriage.
She met DGP Loknath Behera at police headquarters here on Wednesday and handed over 11 petitions which required immediate intervention by the police. Ms Sharma expressed shock to the DGP and the expert committee members consisting of Geeta Rathi, technical legal expert attached to NCW, and P. Krishnadas, lawyer at Kerala High Court, about the missing cases.
She felt that the police hesitate to take action in cases where girls are aged over 18 as the law allows them to live with the person of their choice. Mr Krishnadas told Deccan Chronicle that majority of the petitions were from Wayanad, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.
“The parents asked the commission to intervene to trace the whereabouts of the missing girls. There have been religious conversions among Hindus, Christians and Muslims,” he said.
Two recent incidents of forced religious conversions were also brought to the notice of Ms Rekha Sharma. Two weeks ago, a nurse belonging to Naruvamoodu near Neyyatinkara had eloped with a Muslim. The police did not register a case as the girl is aged 26. A similar case happened in Wayanad also.
“The Muslim groom at Naruvamoodu was already married and the father of a child. When he promised to take care of the girl after the divorce proceedings, the police agreed. But within days the couple went missing,” said Anjana Suresh, a lawyer who met Ms Sharma.
