Kerala High Court orders police protection for lesbian couple

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted police protection to a lesbian couple after they alleged that they were being threatened by their relatives.

The court passed an interim order directing the police authorities to provide police protection to Afeefa and Sumayya, from the former’s parents and their people who are out to separate the couple.

The couple had moved the court stating that while Sumayya was detained by her parents, Afeefa was forcibly subjected to conversion therapy at a hospital in Kozhikode.

Incidentally only last month, the High Court closed a habeas corpus petition moved by Sumayya for Afeefa's release. This case was closed after an interaction with Afeefa, when she said that she wished to go with her parents, although she confirmed that she was in a relationship with Sumayya.

However in her latest plea filed before the High Court, the couple submitted that when Afeefa interacted with the High Court earlier, she had been heavily drugged and was, therefore, unable to explain the truth of the situation. Hence they pointed out in their plea that they fear that Afeefa's parents and their associates will try to separate them again and that too by force, and hence, they approached the High Court seeking police protection.

The couple first eloped and left their houses on January 27. But their parents approached the police with complaints though a magistrate court's then considered their case and allowed the couple to live together.

However, Afeefa was allegedly forcefully taken back to her parents' house even after the magistrate's order. It was then that Sumayya moved the habeas corpus petition before the High Court, in which she stated that there is a serious apprehension that Afeefa's parents would subject her to conversion therapy and that they have already admitted her to a hospital under the pretext of curing a mental illness.

After Afeefa told the court that, although she was in a relationship with Sumayya, she wanted to go back home with her parents, the bench closed the habeas corpus petition.

Subsequently, the couple managed to reunite with the help of the police and the women's protection cell. Now with High Court having ordered for police protection, this case will now be heard again on July 21.