NIA's probe +

marriage of Kerala's Hadiya +

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court SC ) said today theinto so-called ' love jihad ' cases has no bearing on the court's deciding whether theis legitimate. That's because the union cannot be challenged by a third party, said the apex court.When the NIA said its probe is almost complete and "shouldn't go waste", the SC brushed it off, again saying an investigation is the Agency's business. But the legitimacy of Hadiya 's marriage - which the Kerala high court annulled last May - is not the business of the NIA, the SC said."We make it clear that we are concerned about ongoing probe of NIA into 'love jihad' cases and the only issue before us is legitimacy of the marriage which cannot be challenged by third party," said the SC.A three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra observed that the NIA cannot get involved in the marital status of Hadiya as she is an adult.Earlier this month, the SC declared that an adult woman enjoyed an unfettered right to lead a life of her choice."It needs no special emphasis to state that attaining the age of majority in an individual's life has its own significance. S/he is entitled to make her/his choice. The courts cannot, as long as the choice remains, assume the role of parens patriae (legal protector)," said a bench of Chief Justice Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.