Srinagar: She topped her IAS batch. He ranked second behind her. One happens to be a Dalit from Delhi and the other a Muslim from Kashmir.

On Saturday, Tina Dabi and Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi solemnised their wedding at a resort in Kashmir where their families joined in the celebrations.

It was not the first time that Kashmir was witnessing an inter-faith marriage. But it was perhaps the first time in the Valley that families of the bride and the groom had thrown a party and invited guests to a union that would normally be frowned upon in a largely conservative society.

Not to forget that at least one group had tried to stop what it called a case of "love jihad".

As the celebrations continued through Monday, sanction came from the country's highest court.

"The right to marry a person of one's choice is integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution," the Supreme Court said in a judgment passed last month but uploaded on Monday night. 

The court was referring to the case of Hadiya, the girl from Kerala who became the symbol of the fight against the so-called "love jihad", the existence of which has not been established till now but has fed on right-wing conspiracy theories.

The Supreme Court said in the Hadiya case: "This right (to marry) cannot be taken away except through a law which is substantively and procedurally fair, just and reasonable. Intrinsic to the liberty which the Constitution guarantees as a fundamental right is the ability of each individual to take decisions on matters central to the pursuit of happiness."

When Tina and Athar, who met in Delhi at a felicitation in 2016, publicly announced their romance, a self-styled Hindu group had called it a case of "love jihad". Some members of the group wrote to Tina's family asking them not to go ahead with the wedding.

But the 2015 IAS toppers stood their ground, backed by their families.

Officials at Pahalgam club, where Athar's family threw a party on Saturday, said dozens of guests, mostly relatives and friends of the couple, had a great time.

The couple then shifted to Athar's home at Devipora, Mattan, around 20km from Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag where the family hosted a reception. Women greeted the couple with Wanwun, folk songs sung at weddings, and distributed sweets.

Pictures of the wedding show Tina dressed in red and Athar wearing a golden sherwani.

Kashmir's main political families, including the Abdullahs and the Muftis, have instances of such marriages.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was married to Payal Nath - the two are now separated - and his sister Sara is married to Congress politician Sachin Pilot.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's brother Tasaduq Mufti, the state tourism minister, is married to Radhika Kapur, a non-Kashmiri.

But most such marriages were solemnised quietly or outside the Valley, sometimes without family approval.

The marriage between Athar and Tina has drawn a mixed response but some prominent voices have lent support.

"Warmest wishes to a fantastic couple @AtharAamirKhan @Tinadabi3 on this very special day & for the rest of your lives together!" National Conference leader Sajjad Shahin posted on Facebook.