New Delhi:Supreme Court has started hearing its first ‘loved jihad’ case related to a Hindu woman in Kerala converting to Islam and marrying a Muslim man. 

Expressing doubts over certain events linked to the episode, apex court sought a report from the National Investigation Agency in 10 days.

The woman's husband, through senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising, slammed the Kerala high court's decision to annul the marriage by terming it as part of a bigger 'love jihad' conspiracy. The husband demanded that as a major, the 24-year-old woman had the right to decide whom to marry and which faith to follow.

Sibal and Jaising said it was unfortunate that the HC annulled the marriage and even disallowed the husband to meet her. Both of them repeatedly requested a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud to summon and interview the girl to ascertain her free will while expressing concern about her safety.

"Is she alive? Why have the police cordoned off her house and not allowed anyone to meet her?" Jaising asked and persuaded the court to seek an undertaking from the woman's father, K M Asokan, to produce her within 24 hours of being directed to do so.

Asokan's counsel Madhavi Divan said the woman, the only child of her parents, had been psychologically indoctrinated as part of a larger conspiracy and exuded confidence to produce documentary proof. "If after perusing the evidence, the SC wants production of the girl, her parents have no objection."

The bench called upon additional solicitor general Maninder Singh to appear for the NIA and asked the agency and Asokan to file all relevant documentary evidence in 10 days and posted the petition filed by the woman's husband for detailed hearing on August 16.