A terrible instance of kidnapping and forced religious conversion has emerged from West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur area. A 15-year-old Hindu girl was abducted and forced to convert her religion to Islam. The accused has been identified as one Asibur Rahman and is said to have close relations with a prominent figure within the ruling TMC (Trinamool Congress) part.
The young Hindu girl lived in Maligram village, which is under the jurisdiction of Pingla Police Station in the Paschim Medinipur region. She went missing on June 18 in Namchi, Sikkim.
According to an exclusive report published by the Organizer, the incident came to the fore after the family members of the girl filed a missing person’s complaint at the Pingala Police Station in Paschim Medinipur district. The police unfortunately failed to take action in the case as the accused is said to have connections with some persons from the TMC.
The father of the girl then approached the Calcutta High Court. The distraught father, in a bid to get his daughter back, filed a petition in the High Court. The High Court then ordered the Police to provide necessary security for the girl’s family.
“The abductor, Asibur Rahman, is closely related to a high-ranking leader within the ruling TMC party. Asibur had threatened to take my daughter. In an effort to ensure her safety, I sent her to Sikkim, where her uncle is employed. However, it was from there that Asibur Rahman abducted my daughter. Despite filing a complaint, Pingla Police have taken no action to locate her. I fear she may have been subjected to forced conversion. All I want is my daughter back,” the father of the girl said in the complaint.
During the petition hearing, Division Bench Justices Tapobrata Chakraborty and Parthasarathi Chattopadhyay expressed their displeasure with the Police’s handling of the issue. The Division Bench has ordered the police to track down and bring back the underage girl within one week, and to transfer her to the Child Welfare Committee.
Tanmay Basu, the girl’s lawyer, alleges that “the Police appear to be protecting the abductor, Asibur Rahman, due to his close association with a powerful TMC leader who serves as the Anchal Sabhapati of Pingla.”
The next hearing has been scheduled for 6 October this year.
