CRPF man sacked for hiding marriage to Pakistan woman-OxBig News Network

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday sacked a constable for breaching protocols by marrying a Pakistan national without obtaining the mandatory departmental clearance.

Constable Munir Ahmed, posted in the 41st Battalion, concealed his marriage to the Pakistan woman and “knowingly harboured” her beyond the validity of visa, the CRPF said. “His actions were found to be in violation of service conduct and detrimental to national security,” it said.

The constable had submitted a request to marry his cousin Menal Khan, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, before the CRPF could issue a formal response or grant a no-objection certificate, the marriage was reportedly solemnised.

The authorities have taken a grim view of his actions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. India had suspended visa services for Pakistan nationals and directed all its citizens leave the country before the expiry of their visas.

Sources indicated that the CRPF’s Jammu and Kashmir zone had recommended against grant of sanction to the constable citing national security concerns. The matter was forwarded to higher authorities for a policy-level decision, given the sensitive nature of cross-border matrimonial cases.

An internal review was then undertaken in which several procedural lapses, including the constable’s failure to inform the department that his spouse had remained in India beyond the validity of her tourist visa, were flagged by senior officers.

While the constable claimed that a long-term visa application had been filed, he did not formally notify the department of this development.

Officials said the constable’s conduct amounted to a violation of Rule 21(3) of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, that govern personal relationships with foreign nationals and necessitate a prior government approval for such unions.

After the government ordered the exit of Pakistan nationals, the constable’s spouse was taken to the Attari border for deportation. She approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which granted a 10-day stay on her deportation on April 29, pending further legal proceedings.

Advocate Ankur Sharma, who represented the woman before the HC, said the Home Ministry’s “Leave India” order had only exempted Pakistan nationals holding diplomatic visas or long-term visas (LTVs). He said Minal had applied for an LTV and was interviewed. A positive recommendation had reportedly gone to the Home Ministry, he said.

“She was sent back after the court passed an interim order,” he said, adding that her deportation status would depend on the outcome of her visa application.