New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has dismissed a personnel of constable rank for marrying a Pakistani woman without permission and not informing the force of his wife’s stay in India after her tourist visa had expired, ThePrint has learnt, a day after the force initiated departmental action.
The case pertains to Constable Munir Ahmed from Jammu and Kashmir, who married Pakistani national Menal Khan, while his application for a departmental nod to marry her was still pending. The force had initiated departmental action against the constable Thursday.
In the dismissal order, signed Friday, the CRPF commandant of the 41st Battalion said that, while Munir had married Menal Khan through WhatsApp video call in May last year, the department was informed of the marriage only on 14 October last year. Additionally, the commandant also noted that while Menal Khan had entered on a short-term visa on 28 February that expired on 22 March this year, he did not inform the department of her entry and stay at his home in a Jammu village.
A copy of the order, seen by ThePrint, said, “Being a member of the Force, he harboured a Pakistani National in India, who was on a short-term visa and also married her, which was not intimated to the concerned authorities, which is amounting to grave misconduct.”
It added that the “security of the nation has been compromised and there is further threat to national security by harbouring a foreign national (Pakistan).”
Menal Khan entered India from the Wagah border on 28 February 2024 on a short-term visa and has been living at Munir Ahmed’s home since then. Her visa, however, expired on 22 March this year, and she is yet to get a long-term visa, which she applied for, a long time ago.
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the CRPF proceedings against Munir Ahmed on 1 May. The action came after an exit permit to Menal Khan signalled her deportation. Munir Ahmed approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which then offered Menal Khan interim relief, allowing her to stay until the next hearing date, 14 May.
The 22 April attack that killed 25 Indian and one Nepalese citizen jolted India, with the Centre revoking the visas of Pakistani nationals living in India and issuing exit permits.
The court, however, noted that her long-term visa request had, for long, been pending.
Advocate Ankur Sharma, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, represented Munir Ahmed in court. Having fought the last general polls from Jammu on an Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal ticket, he joined the BJP in the presence of national president J.P. Nadda and working president in the Union Territory Sat Sharma.
A CRPF official well-versed in service laws had earlier said that a government servant who marries or intends to marry a person of foreign nationality is required to inform the government. The officer further added that Pakistan is not just any foreign country, and since CRPF personnel are directly involved in national security duties, greater caution is expected in such cases.
“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. His actions were found to be in violation of service conduct and detrimental to national security,” a CRPF spokesperson said Saturday.
WhatsApp marriage: What CRPF found
According to a communication sent by the Jammu zonal headquarters of the CRPF to the Directorate General in Delhi—a copy of which ThePrint has seen—Munir Ahmed from the 72 battalion of the force, on 18 October 2023, approached his commandant for permission to marry Menal Khan.
The commandant forwarded the request to his higher officer of deputy inspector general rank in Hiranagar, Jammu. Subsequently, the senior officer forwarded it to the Jammu and Kashmir zonal headquarters.
In November 2023, the zonal headquarters sought Munir Ahmed’s joining documents from when he became a part of the force, and a certificate from his village head confirming that the proposed marriage was his first. There was back-and-forth communication between J&K and New Delhi on Munir Ahmed’s application, but it remained under consideration.
The CRPF, of late, learnt that Munir Ahmed, on 24 May 2024, married Menal Khan over a WhatsApp video call.
In a communication dated Thursday, the Jammu sector of the force warned of probable action against Munir Ahmed. While citing grounds for departmental action against him, the force has listed his going ahead with the marriage without waiting for departmental nod and not informing the department of his wife’s overstay after her visa expired.
The communication said Menal Khan entered India from the Wagah border on a tourist visa valid till 22 March this year. Munir Ahmed, it said, did not inform the department that his wife was in India even after her visa had expired. Also, Munir stated that his wife had applied for a long-term visa but did not relay the information formally to the department.”
On the other hand, the court order from 29 April mentioned that an individual witness stated that Munir informed the department—CRPF—of his intent to marry a Pakistani national. His application, however, remained under examination/consideration.
“This department has not granted permission to the above individual. However, in the court order, there is a mention of nikahnama (marriage certificate) and wedding card, which are enclosed. He has not informed the department, which is a violation,” the communication said, concluding that it seemed the individual witness misled the court with a false statement.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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There is a very valid reason why the armed forces and the paramilitary forces have such low percentage of Muslim personnel.
How can Constable Munir Ahmed be expected to fight against Pakistani armed forces when his in-laws are Pakistani? He would not shoot and worse, he might even defect.