Hadiya, who is at the centre of a religious conversion case, talked to her husband using her college dean’s phone on Wednesday, a day after she reached Salem to continue her studies following a Supreme Court order.

“Hadiya talked to Shafin Jahan [her husband] for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody,” college dean G Kannan was quoted as saying by PTI. “She appeared to be relieved from depression after talking to him. There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody.”

Earlier in the day, she had told reporters that she did not have a phone and could not contact anyone. She had said she did not feel free despite the Supreme Court’s order allowing her to continue her studies in Tamil Nadu.

Hadiya’s conversion from Hinduism to Islam and her marriage to Jahan, who is a Muslim, led to a controversy and allegations of forced conversion. Her father had approached the Kerala High Court alleging that Muslim organisations planned to make her join the Islamic State group. Jahan had moved the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court order that annulled their marriage and asked that Hadiya be sent to her parents.

The Supreme Court had on Monday ruled that Hadiya could finish her course at Sivaraj Homeopathic Medical College in Salem and that she should live at the college hostel for the entire duration of her course.

Father upset over press conference

Meanwhile, Hadiya’s father Asokan said he would file a contempt petition before the Supreme Court against the college for allowing her to hold a press conference, The Times of India reported.

“I am preparing to file a contempt of court petition against the college,” he said, asking how a student, sent to college for studies, could be allowed to hold a news conference.

“My biggest concern now is over sending my daughter to such a college,” he said. “If the college can make arrangements to conduct a news conference what will they do tomorrow? I have no other way other than to approach the court. I have already initiated the necessary action.”

“If Jahan, who has got an extremist link, meets her, it will compromise my daughter’s safety,” Asokan told the Hindustan Times. “It seems the college is not taking enough measures to ensure her safety.”