Pak woman, her Greater Noida friend get bail

Investigations revealed that Haider left Pakistan with her children on May 11 and, on May 13, she reached Meena’s home in Greater Noida’s Rabupura, after gaining entry to India through Nepal illegally on a Nepalese visa

A local court in Jewar town of Gautam Budh Nagar granted bail to Pakistani national Seema Ghulam Haider (27) and her male friend Sachin Meena (21) on Friday, officials said.

Pakistani national Seema Ghulam Haider (HT Photo)

Meen’a father Netrapal Singh (51) obtained bail from the Jewar Tehsil court on Thursday.

Haider, Meena and Singh were arrested on Monday by the Gautam Budh Nagar police under provisions of the Foreigner Act and Passport Act. While Haider was charged for illegally entering India without a valid visa, Meena and Singh were charged for sheltering her. Haider had entered the country along with her four children, all under the age of seven, and they too were staying with her at Luksar jail.

“After hearing the arguments of their lawyer, Jewar civil court junior division judge Nazim Akbar granted bail to Meena’s father Netrapal on Thursday and Meena and Haider on Friday on the condition that they not change their address nor leave the country,” said their advocate Hamant Krishna Parasher.

Parashar said he argued before the judge that Haider had taken the action of crossing the border in her innocence as the couple is in love.

“I also told the court that Haider first went from Pakistan to Nepal and then came to India. Those coming from Nepal to India are not required to carry passport or have visa,” he said.

He added that the woman told him that she feels a threat to her life if she goes back to Pakistan now.

“I informed the court that Haider feels a threat to her life if she is sent back to Pakistan. She feels her children might get spared, but she would be killed for her acts,” said the Rabupura-based lawyer.

The two will head back to their Rabupura home once they are out from jail, he added.

“Haider and Meena have been granted bail. But they are yet to be released from jail, pending paperwork and verification,” said Sudhir Kumar, in-charge of local Rabupura police station where the case was lodged.

“Haider’s four children are also with her,” Kumar said.

Advocate Parasher further said that the couple had got married in Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, in March this year after their first meeting.

Investigations revealed that Haider left Pakistan with her children on May 11 and, on May 13, she reached Meena’s home in Greater Noida’s Rabupura, after gaining entry to India through Nepal illegally on a Nepalese visa. She told police that she intended to live with Meena, along with her four children, as the two loved each other.

Meanwhile, her husband had sought help from the Pakistan and Indian government to safely get back his children.