LONDON (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A young Muslim couple’s wedding reception was wrecked by the police when they were arrested at their home full of guests and taken to the local station on allegations that it was a forced marriage.
According to ‘The Muslim News’, Shahid and Kiran Iqbal were getting ready to go to the celebrations, when police first raided their home in Sydenham, south London.“They pushed into our house without warrant and demanded to see my wife, Kiran. They didn’t tell me why they were there,” Shahid told the weekly.The police came in two cars at around 10.30 am wearing stab vests and asked the groom where the bride was. He told them she was upstairs and one of them forced his way into the bride’s room without knocking, said Shahid. “There was no regard whether she was changing her clothes or not.”
Kiran, aged 17, was questioned in her room as she was being helped by a beautician to get ready. “They said a girl had phoned them saying she was me and said to the police that she was being forced to get married. I denied that I was forced to get married,” Kiran said and added the police officers told her they were ‘satisfied’ and then they left.The family showed them their marriage certificate and wedding invitations and told the officers that the wedding ceremony, Nikah had taken place a week before in Birmingham.However, the police drove down the road and waited in their cars.There were around 200 people in the house and around 800 were waiting in a reception hall. At around 12.30 the bride and groom and the family and friends began leaving for the reception.
“As soon as we began leaving around 10 police officers came to our house. They told me they were not satisfied and told me I was under arrest,” Shahid said. “I asked him for what. He replied, For kidnapping. I asked, Whose kidnapping, he replied, you kidnapped a young girl under the age of 18 and you are force marrying her. I said this was not the case and that you had talked to my wife earlier and you told us it was Ok.”
The couple were taken to a local Police station for further questioning and released after two hours without charge.
“They did not even apologise after they had spoilt our day which we were looking forward to enjoy and celebrate. We spent so much money, the large amount of effort we put into to make the wedding reception perfect. All of this went into waste,” said Shahid.
Most of their guests, who had come from around the country, had left when they reached the reception. “I was embarrassed when we walked into the hall. I felt humiliated,” said Kiran.
The family have lodged a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The police told the weekly that they had allegations of a forced marriage and no allegations were substantiated. No arrests were made. Officers are now investigating whether this was a malicious communication by a third party.
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