As the controversy around forced conversions and love jihad continue to grip Uttarakhand, another case of religious conversion has come to the fore from Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal. A father-son duo has been arrested by the police for forcing a girl to convert to Islam.
An FIR was filed by the father of the victim alleging that his daughter’s friend, and the friend’s brother belonging to a specific religion (Islam) attempted to convert her. She was also forced to wear a hijab, offer namaz, and marry the boy. The father of the boy was also allegedly involved in the crime.
A man gave a complaint that his daughter is being forced by a man to convert to Islam, wear Hijab & offer namaz. He allegedly also forced her to get married to him. We registered a case & arrested the man and his father. Further investigation is underway: Shyam Dutt Notiyal, DSP pic.twitter.com/TrY5mVraDm
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 22, 2023
Mujeeb Khan (22) and Babu Khan (45) were on the run but were nabbed by the police from Rishikesh railway station. A case has been registered against both of them under sections 354 and 3/5 of the Uttarakhand Religious Freedom Act 2018. An additional section has been invoked on the son for molestation.
Both accused have been sent to the district jail Khandusain on the orders of the court
Social activists including Srinagar Vyapar Sabha have also demanded action against the accused alleging that he planned to run away along with the victim.
Cases of conversion and love jihad growing in Uttarakhand
There have been growing concerns over the cases of conversion and love jihad in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.
15 June 2023: Teen’s body found hanging in Dehradun
A 17-year-old Hindu girl’s dead body was discovered hanging at her residence in Laxman Chowk of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. “I am leaving your life, both of you be happy,” was also found written in blood on a wall of the room. The police took the dead body in their possession and transported it to a hospital for postmortem.
Reportedly, she was in love with a Muslim individual named Shadab, and the victim’s family accused him of leading the girl to kill herself.
15 June 2023: The Ghajwa-e-Hind threat
Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan Sangathan founder, Swami Darshan Bharti, received a letter in which Islamists issued death threats to the Hindu saint for protesting against Love Jihad cases.
Swami Bharti has been at the forefront of protests against the rampant Love Jihad incidents that are taking place in the Purola area of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
14 June 2023: Muslim girl traps Hindu girl, and forces her to convert
A Hindu girl was forced to convert and marry by a Muslim man who was the brother of the victim’s friend. The individuals accused in the case are Armaan Ansari and his sister Tamanna.
31 May 2023: Hindu minor girl abducted by Uved Khan
A Hindu minor girl was abducted by two youths, one of whom is from the Muslim community, in Purola region of Uttarkashi. The two accused have been identified as Uved Khan and Jitendra Saini.
Massive protests were launched by locals who demanded a shutdown of shops owned by non-locals, the majority of whom are from the minority community.
13 June 2023: Muslim man caught taking intimate images of a Hindu student
A Muslim man was caught by a local Hindu organization while he was taking intimate photographs of a Hindu medical student. The man also blackmailed the female student using the photographs and forced her to change her religion to Islam.
