Twenty-eight days after being terminated from service for marrying a Pakistani national, Munir Ahmed, a former jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), has challenged the decision in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has issued notices to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the CRPF in response to a writ petition filed by Ahmed. Justice Javed Iqbal Wani passed the order after hearing initial arguments presented by Advocate Ankur Sharma.
The court has directed the MHA and CRPF to file their responses before the next hearing, scheduled for June 30.
Ahmed, who served with the CRPF until May 2, 2025, contends that his dismissal was "arbitrary, capricious, and whimsical." He argued that he had followed all proper procedures and had repeatedly informed his superiors about his intent to marry his cousin, Menal Khan—a Pakistani citizen whose family had migrated from Jammu's Bhalwal tehsil in 1947.
His application, initially submitted in 2022, was returned with objections in January 2023. However, official correspondence in 2023 and 2024—including a letter from the CRPF Inspector General and certification by the then Director General—confirmed that Ahmed had informed the department in accordance with the rules.
Despite this, Ahmed was transferred to the 41st Battalion in Bhopal in March 2025, where the official posting diary also noted his wife's Pakistani origin. A termination order followed in May 2025.
To support his case, Ahmed submitted letters of recommendation from senior BJP leaders. Rajya Sabha MP Gulam Ali Khatana had written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in February 2025, requesting urgent visa clearance for Ahmed's wife. Similarly, in February 2024, Jammu-Reasi MP Jugal Kishore Sharma had written to the then Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra, seeking the same.
Dismissed for Concealing Marriage to Pakistani Woman
On May 2, the CRPF dismissed Munir Ahmed from service for allegedly "concealing" his marriage to a Pakistani woman, stating that his actions were detrimental to national security.
Ahmed was dismissed under provisions that do not mandate a formal inquiry.
"Munir Ahmed 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," the reports stated.
According to officials, his actions violated service conduct rules and posed a threat to national security.
Ahmed's marriage to Menal Khan reportedly came under scrutiny after India instructed Pakistani nationals to leave the country, following diplomatic tensions triggered by the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives.
Appeal to Prime Minister and Home Minister
Two days after his dismissal, on May 4, Munir Ahmed appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to grant him justice in the matter.
Ahmed insisted that the allegations outlined in the dismissal letter were misleading and driven by malafide intentions. He emphasized that his family has been permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir for generations, living in the village of Handwal in Bhalwal tehsil, Jammu.
"We didn't leave Jammu even during the Partition in 1947, while Menal Khan's family (my maternal uncle's family) migrated to Pakistan," he said.
"I had a strong desire to serve the nation, which is why I joined the CRPF. I have served in many difficult and remote areas over the last nine years," he added.
