Allahabad High Court to hold special Saturday session as inter-faith couple goes missing after hearing

The Allahabad High Court has fixed a special sitting this Saturday to hear a habeas corpus petition concerning an inter-faith couple who allegedly disappeared soon after appearing before the Court earlier this week.

A Division Bench of Justices Salil Kumar Rai and Divesh Chandra Samant passed the order on Friday, directing the State authorities to produce Shane Ali and Rashmi before the Court at 12 noon on October 18.

"On the averments made in the writ petition, we find that the matter is very urgent. The respondent nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are directed to produce the corpus, i.e., the petitioner no. 2 as well as Rashmi, daughter of respondent no. 6 tomorrow, i.e., 18.10.2025 at 12 noon," notes the order passed today.

The Bench also noted that it was aware of the exceptional nature of the sitting, observing,

“We are conscious that tomorrow is a non-working day. However, respondents shall produce the corpus in this Court, i.e., Court No. 43 and the office shall make necessary arrangements for the sitting of the Court.”

The direction came in a habeas corpus plea filed by one Tehseem and another, through Advocate Ali Bin Saif, assisted by Advocate Kaif Hasan. The petition alleged that Shane Ali and Rashmi, both adults, had gone missing after leaving the High Court premises on October 15, where they had appeared in connected criminal writ petitions concerning their relationship.

The plea stated that the couple had earlier moved the High Court for protection, citing threats from Rashmi’s family members, who opposed their relationship. During the October 15 proceedings, Rashmi had given a statement before the Bench affirming that she was living with Shane Ali of her own free will and wished to marry him.

The petition recounts that after the hearing concluded, the two left the court premises and have not been seen since. At around 5 pm the same day, Shane Ali reportedly contacted his brother to say that he and Rashmi were in an e-rickshaw near PVR Subhash Chauraha, Prayagraj and were being followed by Rashmi’s father and other men. His phone went off shortly after; since then, neither he nor Rashmi could be located.

The plea adds that the incident was brought to the Court’s notice the same evening. The government advocate was asked to inform the Station House Officer of Civil Lines Police Station, Prayagraj and ensure that the couple did not leave the city. However, the petition states that no First Information Report (FIR) was registered and no action was taken even after the petitioner’s family went to the police station later that night.

The habeas corpus petition stems from an earlier FIR dated September 27, 2025, registered at Police Station Akrabad, District Aligarh, under Sections 87, 352 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The FIR was filed by Naresh Kumar, Rashmi’s father, who claimed that his 20-year-old daughter had been “lured away” by Shane Ali and his relatives.

According to the petition, the FIR was “false, fabricated and filed with mala fide intent,” alleging that Rashmi’s father lodged the case out of opposition to her relationship with Shane Ali. The plea also notes that there was a two-month gap between the date of the alleged incident and the FIR, with no explanation for the delay.

It further highlights that earlier this year, the High Court had granted Rashmi and Shane Ali two months’ protection. Despite this, the petition alleges that the police “did not provide protection and continued harassing the family members of Shane Ali.”

The petition also refers to the alleged unlawful detention of Shane Ali’s brother in September, who was released only after a separate habeas corpus petition allowed by the High Court on September 9, 2025.

The plea asserts that both Rashmi and Shane Ali are “major, consenting adults” living together by choice. Rashmi’s affidavit filed before the Court reiterates that she left her home voluntarily and is residing with Shane Ali.

[Read Order]