A CRPF constable sacked for allegedly concealing his marriage to a Pakistani has claimed he had informed his higher-ups about his wife’s nationality before and after their May 2024 wedding, and observed all the necessary formalities.
Addressing a news conference in Jammu on Sunday, Munir Ahmed said he had informed his department about his approaching marriage to his Pakistani cousin Menal Khan as early as 2022, and several times afterwards.
Munir, a Jammu resident who was posted with the 41 Battalion in Bhopal, urged the CRPF to revisit his case. He also spoke about approaching the courts for justice.
Earlier this week, Munir had been celebrating what he thought was a lucky break when Jammu and Kashmir High Court temporarily stayed Menal’s deportation. The Centre has since the Pahalgam attack ordered Pakistanis to leave India.
But the jawan’s joy lasted just a couple of days, until he received his dismissal letter on Saturday.
Munir told the news conference that he had informed CRPF headquarters in Delhi, after approaching a chain of command right up to the DGP, that he was marrying a Pakistani.
He showed a purported reply from CRPF headquarters that acknowledged he had informed the department and said that no non-objection certificate was needed.
Munir said he had first written to the department in December 2022.
“In 2023, the CRPF raised certain objections and asked for details like invitation card, place and date of marriage,” he said, adding he had done as directed.
The next directive, Munir said, was to submit a declaration from local elected officials. After he carried out all these formalities, his application reached the Delhi CRPF headquarters, he said.
“It took around five months after which we got a reply which said the rule clearly states that the department has to be notified. In that reply it was written clearly that I had informed the department,” Munir said.
“I had informed them before my marriage and afterwards too.”
The sacked constable said he and his wife’s family lived this side of Kashmir before 1947 but the Partition divided them.
“Our marriage happened on May 24, 2024, through videoconference. She is my cousin; she is the daughter of my mom’s brother and they live in Sialkot, Pakistan,” he said.
Munir said his wife had arrived on a short-term visa, following which they had applied for a long-term visa.
The CRPF’s sack letter said: “In a matter of serious concern... Munir Ahmed... has been dismissed from service with immediate effect for concealing his marriage to a Pakistani national and knowingly harbouring her beyond the validity of her visa.”