Pakistani Woman Seeks Husband's Deportation from India to Prevent Second Marriage: A Cross-Border Legal Battle

The man is currently residing in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on a long-term visa.

Indore:

A complex family conflict involving a Pakistani Hindu couple, separated by national borders since their marriage in Pakistan in 2020, has escalated to the Madhya Pradesh High Court after reconciliation efforts proved unsuccessful.

Nikita Devi, 28, a Pakistani woman, has submitted a writ petition to the Indore bench of the high court, alleging that her husband, Vikram Kumar Nagdev, 35, a Karachi resident, is planning to remarry without divorcing her first. Through her petition, she is seeking his deportation from India back to Pakistan.

Officials report that both individuals are Pakistani citizens who married on January 26, 2020, in Pakistan's Sindh province. Currently, the husband resides in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on a long-term visa.

Dinesh Rawat, the petitioner's attorney, informed PTI on Thursday that Nikita, who continues to live at her parents' home in Pakistan, has filed her petition under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution, with a hearing expected next week.

Article 226 grants high courts the authority to issue formal orders related to fundamental rights and other legal matters.

The petition alleges that Nagdev has abandoned his wife and is preparing to illegally marry another woman in March 2026.

Her legal representative stated, "My client has petitioned the high court to prevent her husband, who is exploiting legal complexities, from entering into a second marriage in India, and to deport him to Pakistan."

Nagdev firmly denies these allegations.

He explained, "We relocated to India after our marriage in Pakistan. Shortly after, my wife voluntarily returned to Pakistan. She has refused to either join me in India or agree to a mutual consent divorce. I attempted to resolve our dispute through community panchayats, but she was unwilling." He further claims that his wife is attempting to extract money from him by leveraging their family dispute.

Nagdev maintains that he has been living in Indore on a long-term visa and fully complies with Indian laws.

"I now seek divorce from my wife. She has damaged my reputation both locally and internationally, causing me significant mental distress," he stated.

Before reaching the high court, the couple's dispute was brought to the 'Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Consultancy Centre' in Indore, but resolution proved impossible.

Kishor Kodwani, who heads the consultancy center and works as a social activist, explained, "Despite numerous mediation attempts, the parties failed to reach an agreement. In my subsequent report to the district administration, I recommended Nagdev's return to Pakistan since both he and his wife are Pakistani citizens, and their family dispute falls under Pakistani jurisdiction."

Indore, recognized as Madhya Pradesh's financial hub, hosts a substantial population of Sindhi Hindu refugees who fled Pakistan to India on long-term visas or residential permits, citing persecution.

Over time, many of these individuals have been granted Indian citizenship.