New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday dismissed a jawan for hiding his marriage to a woman from Pakistan, stating that his actions posed a threat to national security.
“In a matter of serious concern, CT/GD Munir Ahmed of 41 Battalion of CRPF 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,” the CRPF said in a statement.
“His actions were found to be in violation of service conduct and detrimental to national security,” it added.
The action against Munir Ahmed came just a day after he was transferred from the sensitive Jammu and Kashmir zone to Bhopal.
In 2023, Ahmed had formally requested permission from the CRPF to marry Minal Khan, a resident of Sialkot, Pakistan. However, before the Force could take a decision on his application, the two got married on May 24, 2024. The wedding was solemnised via video conferencing, with clerics from both India and Pakistan officiating the ceremony.
The matter gained attention earlier this week when Minal Khan was deported from Jammu amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. In response to the attack, India had revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals.
Khan was on her way to the Attari border for deportation when her lawyer informed her that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had granted her interim relief on April 30, allowing her to remain in India temporarily.
“Minal Khan, who married CRPF constable Munir Ahmed around two and a half months ago, had come to India on a visitor visa,” said advocate Ankush Sharma, who represents her. “She later applied for a long-term visa and even attended an interview for the same. The authorities had recommended her case positively to the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
However, the Pahalgam attack changed the situation. Since her long-term visa had not yet been approved, Khan was ordered to leave. Following the court’s interim order, she was brought back to Jammu from Attari.
Speaking to the media, Khan appealed to the Indian government to allow families to remain united. “Families should not be separated,” she told PTI, while also condemning the terror attack in Pahalgam. “The perpetrators should face strict punishment,” she said.
