New Delhi, May 3: In a case raising ‘national serious concerns’, Constable (CT/GD) Munir Ahmed of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been dismissed from service with immediate effect. The action comes after it was found that Ahmed concealed his marriage to a Pakistani national, Menal Khan, and allowed her to remain in India beyond the validity of her visa — all without the mandatory approval from his department.

The 41st Battalion constable, currently posted in Jammu and Kashmir, was subject to a departmental inquiry after intelligence inputs flagged his unauthorised marriage to a Pakistani citizen. Investigations revealed that Ahmed had solemnised the marriage via a WhatsApp video call on May 24, 2024, before his request for formal permission to marry a foreign national could be processed, sources said.

According to officials, the case not only violated service conduct regulations but also posed a potential risk to national security, particularly in view of the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following recent terror attacks, including the deadly strike in Pahalgam. Under Rule 21(3) of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, government employees are required to seek prior approval before marrying a foreign national — a condition Ahmed failed to meet.

The internal inquiry concluded that the marriage and subsequent actions by the constable were unauthorised and deceptive. The Jammu and Kashmir zone of the CRPF had earlier reviewed Ahmed’s request and recommended against granting a No Objection Certificate (NOC), citing policy concerns and the sensitive nature of cross-border relations.

The probe report said that Menal Khan had entered India via the Wagah Border on a tourist visa valid until March 22, 2025. But CRPF constable Ahmed did not inform the department that his wife continued to stay in India beyond that period. He also claimed that she had applied for a Long-Term Visa. But this detail was not officially conveyed to the department in what was seen as another breach of protocol.

As a result, Khan was taken to the Attari-Wagah border for deportation as part of the government's directive to repatriate Pakistani nationals.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court intervened and granted her interim relief to stay in India for an additional 10 days beyond April 29, 2025, pending further legal proceedings.

--IANS

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