‘Lucky you are in Kerala’; HC in Mohammed Farmaan’s anticipatory bail plea

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has stayed the arrest of Mohammad Farman, husband of Kumbh Mela fame, for a month. The court also clarified that Farman can approach the relevant court for anticipatory bail within this period. The case was considered by Justice Kauser Edappagath. The charge against Mohammad Farman is that he abducted and married a minor girl. The court also clarified that since the case is pending in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Farman's plea can only be considered as a transit bail plea.

During the hearing yesterday, the court had verbally said, 'Lucky that you are in Kerala. The couple then said that is the only reason why they are alive now.’ The girl also said that if they go back to Madhya Pradesh, they will have to become victims of honor killing.

Meantime, the Madhya Pradesh Police had strongly opposed Farman's anticipatory bail plea. The Madhya Pradesh Police’ claim is that the marriage between the two is invalid since the girl is a minor. The police said the two got married after making changes in the birth certificate. A case has been registered against Mohammed Farman under sections such as kidnapping, POCSO, and atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. However, the girl said that she is 18 and the documents produced by the Madhya Pradesh Police are fake.