NEW DELHI: A Pakistani Muslim woman and her Hindu admirer in India, reportedly married after she converted to Hinduism, have gone into hiding after police claimed they faced threats from religious zealots, reports said on Monday.

They said Pakistani national Seema Haider and her Indian husband Sachin Meena have gone missing from their Greater Noida home bordering Delhi. Seema, who met Sachin while playing the online game PUBG, illegally entered India via Nepal.

The UP police had arrested Seema for entering India illegally without a visa through Nepal. But later, she was released on bail. Seema converted to Hinduism and married Sachin, and started staying at his Greater Noida house.

However, now reports say both have gone missing. The Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad has reportedly started a probe to find out Seema’s Pakistani links and the route she took to enter India.

Police warn miscreants may carry out fatal attack on Seema

Last week, India Today reported that a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer expressed concerns about potential attacks on Seema after she spoke about converting from Islam to Hinduism to be with Sachin.

The police official warned that some miscreant, garbed as a member of the crowd or as media personnel, may carry out a fatal attack on Seema.

The official also said that though there had been no formal request from Seema or Sachin, seeking security measures, the police were maintaining constant surveillance on their house.

Police officers, both in uniform and plain clothes, were discreetly deployed around the house in Rabupura. Sources told India Today that the central government may not repatriate Seema to Pakistan at this time. The final decision on her future lies with the Ministry of External Affairs and the central government.

Talking about Seema’s illegal entry into India, sources within the police suggested the possibility of granting a long-term visa with certain conditions, considering her marriage to an Indian. If Sachin appeals to the government for permission for his wife to stay in India, she may be granted a long-term visa due to her status, sources told IT.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2023