In recent days cases of “Love Jihad”, a term used to lure a Hindu girl into converting and marrying a Muslim boy are becoming publicised from the state of Kerala.
Recently we had reported how the Supreme Court had ordered the National Investigative Agency (NIA) to probe one such case. In the case, the Kerala High Court had declared the particular marriage between the girl named Akhila Asokan and a man named Shafin Jahan, null and void on the petition of her father. The father had alleged that the girl was forced to convert after being abducted and wrongly confined at an illegal Islamic conversion.
Later the plot had turned deeper. It was reported that there was a common link between two Hindu girls, the same Akhila and a certain Athira who were persuaded to join Islam. It has been alleged that a common mentor named Sainaba, associated with the radical group Popular Front of India (PFI), “lured” the two girls into accepting Islam.
Even Athira’s parents had filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala High Court regarding the matter and the girl has since then returned to her parents home.
Now it seems that the NIA is taking the whole “Love Jihad” situation very seriously. It has been reported that the agency is scrutinising about 32 such cases in Kerala. The agency has also asked the Kerala police to give details of alleged forced conversions which have been carried out in Therbiyathul Islam Sabha in Kozhikode, which is a religious centre authorised by the Kerala government.
The number of cases seem to be way higher at 92, but the agency is initially only focusing on 32. According to a NIA official, the agency would be unearthing the entire racket, as has been instructed to them by the Supreme Court. Even Kerala police has registered FIRs in these cases based on complaints from family members.
The NIA has also reportedly sent details of 4 terror cases which had the alleged involvement of the same PFI, which is now connected to the love jihad racket. It also is the same organisation whose program was recently attended by former Vice President Hamid Ansari. He had later defended his appearance by claiming that he was ignorant about the fact that PFI was one of the co-organisers of the event.
