CRPF Jawan's Online Marriage To Pakistani Woman Reaches High Court
Hearing a writ petition, the court observed that the Pakistani woman holds an expired tourist visa and is under an exit directive from the country.
By ETV Bharat Jammu & Kashmir Team
Published : May 1, 2025 at 1:13 PM IST
Srinagar: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has issued notice to the Union of India and the Jammu and Kashmir administration in a case involving an online marriage between a serving CRPF jawan and a Pakistani national, whose visa expired in March.
Justice Rahul Bharti, hearing the writ petition (WP(C) No. 1054/2025), observed that while the legality of an online cross-border marriage needs to be examined by the Government of India, the petitioner—a Pakistani woman —currently holds an expired tourist visa and is under an exit directive from the country.
“The very fact that the place of Nikah is shown to be Handwal, Jammu, per se, meant that the marriage was solemnised in physical mode… which is not the factual situation,” Justice Bharti noted in his April 29 order. “The purported marriage came to take place online; that is, the petitioner No. 2 was in Pakistan… and the petitioner No. 1 in UT of J&K at his own house. Whether such a type of marriage is permissible/recognisable in the eyes of the law is an aspect which requires the attention of the Government of India…”
The petitioners, represented by advocate Ankur Sharma, submitted that the woman, now seeking a Long-Term Visa (LTV) based on her marriage, had been issued an exit permit following the expiry of her visa on March 22, 2025. However, they contended that the authorities have since revoked the exit permit and are re-examining the matter.
Referring to a Ministry of Home Affairs communication from 2014 cited by the petitioner, the court said, “It is for the Government of India to consider whether a long-term visa in favour of petitioner No. 2 is to be issued or not, even if a request is made… The present actual status of the petitioner No. 2 is that of a Pakistani national entering and staying in India on a short-term visa, which too has expired.”
Justice Bharti further commented on the broader context surrounding the case. “Post Pahalgam carnage, which has led to daylight killings of 27 Indian citizens at the hands of terrorists, the Government of India has activated its sovereign power to oust the visiting Pakistani nationals in India on visas other than those as excepted (sic).”
The court directed that the Pakistani woman's ouster “would be subject to the outcome of the writ petition". Respondents, including the Union Government and J&K authorities, have been asked to file replies within 10 days. The case is listed for further hearing on May 14.
“This Court has no issue with this aspect of the case that the petitioner No. 2's case is under consideration… she would accordingly become either the beneficiary or the non-beneficiary of the outcome,” Justice Bharti said.
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