A new case of forced conversion has come to light in the state of Madhya Pradesh. On April 2, Aishwarya, who was converted to Aaysha, filed a complaint against Irshad and accused him of forced conversion. An FIR based on her complaint was filed at Badgoda Police Station, district Indore Dehat, under Sections 376, 376(2)(h), 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act and Sections 4 and 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021.
As per the complaint, Irshad and Aishwarya eloped in 2016, but they never got married. The couple has two children. Aishwarya complained that Irshad also forced her to sleep with his brother. The victim is from the Khandwa district, and Irshad took her to Indore. Her family said Hindu Jagran Manch, Khandwa, members made her return possible. Irshad is on the run following the complaint.
Aishwarya, who is now 24 years old, met Irshad in 2016. He was working as a driver when they met for the first time. On November 20, 2016, they eloped but never got married as per Hindu or Islamic rituals. Soon after, Irshad took Aishwarya to Mahow and started living as a couple. Aishwarya gave birth to a boy and a girl during that period.
In 2022, Irshad and his brother Mukeem forced her to convert and abused her for belonging to a lower cast. When Aishwarya refused, Irshad hurled casteist slurs and abused her. She alleged her brother-in-law Mukeem also raped her. They threatened if she refused to convert, they would keep raping her and threatened to kill her. She managed to escape and registered a complaint at Depalpur Police Station on April 1, 2023.
Speaking to Organiser, ASI Krishna Jadaon of Badgoda Police Station said the police arrested Mukeem, but Irshad was still on the run. Aishwarya has submitted her statement under Section 164 of CrPC at the court.
Irshad posed as a Hindu
Speaking to Organiser, Aishwarya said Irshad introduced himself as Shakti Chouhan before marriage and claimed he was from the (Naik) Banjara community. As Aishwarya thought he was a Dalit, she felt connected to him. Aishwarya did not inform her parents about him. At Mahow, she came to know his real identity. After that, when she tried returning home, he locked her up inside the home.
She is Aishwarya Chouhan, a Dalit lives in Khandwa Madhya Pradesh.
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) April 9, 2023
7 years ago she eloped with a man who introduced himself as Shakti Chouhan but turned out to be Irshad Qureshi.
She has been converted, raped by her brother-in-law’s & tortured for 6 years. This week came home pic.twitter.com/Khn21lnbEB
Aishwarya said in her statement that Irshad had physical relations with her from day one. After one year, she gave birth to a boy. Whenever she asked him to get married, he would say no one could separate them as they had a child. Aishwarya said they lived in a joint family with Irshad’s four brothers, who all are married. One of them has a Hindu wife. Being a Dalit, she was never accepted as a family member.
Sometime later, Irshad got her name changed to Aaysha Khatun. He also got her a new PAN card on which the fake name of her father was mentioned. A cleric was involved in the process of changing her name. Though her name was changed, Aishwarya refused to follow any Islamic rituals that angered Irshad’s family. She alleged they would not treat her well and refused to eat the food she cooked.
She was never allowed to follow Hinduism and was forced to wear a burqa while leaving home. Irshad also circumcised their son at a camp in 2017. She tried to stop him but could not. Irshad often used abusive language against Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He would abuse Aishwarya for doing Murti Puja. He kept telling her she was a child of a Kuffar and would remain a Kafir.
Physical relations during pregnancy
Aishwarya said in her statement Irshad would forcefully make physical relations with her even during pregnancy. He did not stop even in the ninth month. When she tried to stop him, he would say, “Let the child die, I will make another one”. If she ever denied physical relations, he would beat the children.
Victim approached Hindu Jagran Manch
Hindu Jagran Manch’s head Dr Anish Arjhare said in a statement that in 2022, the police tracked the couple. She was presented before the court, where she said she would live with Irshad.
HJM members were aware things were not right in her life. When Aishwarya escaped last month, she contacted an HJM member and told him about her ordeal after they rescued her and ensure her safe return to her parents.
