Two Men Claim Marriage to Same Kashmir Woman; Cases Reach Rajasthan and Jammu Kashmir High Courts | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: A legal dispute involving a Kashmir woman and two men from different states has taken a complex turn, with parallel proceedings underway in the Rajasthan High Court and the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. According to a report published by the newspaper Bhaskar, both men have claimed that the woman is their legally wedded wife.

The woman, Shakeela Akhtar, a resident of Anantnag, has reportedly remained untraceable for some time despite search efforts by the Rajasthan Police.

Jitendra Singh, a resident of Sudrasan village under Bardwa police station in Didwana–Kuchaman district of Rajasthan, has filed a habeas corpus petition before the principal bench of the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur. In his petition, he claimed that he married Shakeela on February 16, 2025, in Firozpur, Punjab. He submitted documents related to the marriage along with a live-in certificate and requested the court to direct authorities to produce the woman and hand her over to him.

The petition is scheduled to be heard today in the court of Justice Farzand Ali at the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur. Station House Officer Mahendra Singh of Bardwa police station is also expected to appear before the court with documents related to the investigation conducted so far.

Meanwhile, another case connected to Shakeela Akhtar is pending before the Srinagar bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The matter, filed by Shabbir Ahmed Khan, is listed for hearing on March 13.

According to the Bhaskar report, Rajasthan Police, acting on directions from the Jodhpur High Court, conducted search operations in Jammu and Kashmir with the assistance of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Several locations, including areas in Anantnag district, were searched but neither Shakeela Akhtar nor Shabbir Ahmed Khan could be traced.

In his petition before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Shabbir Ahmed Khan has claimed that Shakeela is his wife and submitted a Nikahnama stating that their marriage took place on June 12, 2024. He has also sought security for both of them, alleging that relatives were attempting to interfere in their marriage. The Srinagar bench has issued directions to the police in connection with the matter.

Jitendra Singh, in his petition before the Rajasthan High Court, stated that he had travelled to Jammu for contract work with a private company, where he came into contact with Shakeela Akhtar. According to him, the two later married in Firozpur with the consent of their families and began living together.

He further alleged that Shakeela’s relatives subsequently filed a missing person complaint. Following this, Jammu Police reportedly detained the couple and took Shakeela to Jammu. Jitendra has claimed that although she did not give any statement against him, he was not allowed to stay with her, prompting him to approach the Rajasthan High Court.

The Rajasthan High Court first heard the matter on October 30, 2025, when notices were issued to the respondents and directions were given to produce the woman at the next hearing. The case has since been heard on seven different dates between October 30, 2025, and February 23, 2026.

In the latest hearing on February 23, 2026, the government counsel sought additional time to trace the woman. The division bench of Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit subsequently fixed the next hearing for March 10, 2026.

Earlier, on January 29, 2026, another division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kumar Mathur and Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma had directed the investigating officer to trace the woman with the assistance of the CRPF and other paramilitary forces deployed in the region.