On Friday, March 29, Bharuch Sessions Court rejected the bail application of Adil Abdul Patel, who was arrested in a love jihad case in January this year. The court said that it is prima facie proven that the accused trapped the Hindu girl by faking his religious identity and marital status and if he was released on bail, it would send out a wrong message to society.
While denying bail, the court also said that this case is an eye-opener for today’s young generation who are blindly without any hesitation accepting friend requests on social media without ascertaining the reality of the sender.
The case came to the fore in January 2024. On January 6, the Bharuch police in Gujarat arrested Adil Abdul Patel of Chavaj village for luring a Hindu girl using a fake social media ID. Adil, using the name ‘Arya Patel’, trapped a Hindu girl on Instagram.
After a complaint was lodged against Adil Abdul Patel, the police registered a case based on it and launched a manhunt to arrest him. After a three-day search, the police arrested the accused Adil Abdul Patel from Chavaj village. The Bharuch police subsequently filed a chargesheet in the case accusing Adil Abdul Patel of impersonation, molestation, and blackmailing a Hindu woman while posing as a Hindu man.
On March 26, 2024, Adil filed his first bail plea in the Bharuch Sessions Court, which the court duly rejected. Adil had argued in the plea that he was the victim of a false accusation and that he should be granted bail following the filing of the chargesheet.
Government opposed the bail application
When the bail plea filed by the accused was listed for hearing before the court, the Public Prosecutor vehemently opposed it. Divulging the details of the case, PP said that Adil had created an Instagram ID in the name of Arya Patel, through which he had lured a Hindu girl into a love trap. The Muslim man concealed his marital status and religion, misleading the girl into a four-year relationship under the pretence of being a single Hindu person.
Adil Patel not only assumed a Hindu identity to lure this girl but he also deceived the girl under the garb of gaining sympathy. When the girl’s family asked him about his parents, he said that his parents had died long back. He told this lie to encash sympathy from the girl’s family.
The prosecution stated that it would be appropriate to take into account the accused’s modus operandi. If he is freed on bail, he might commit the same crime again and harm other vulnerable girls. Furthermore, it was contended that if the accused was freed, he might tamper with the evidence because he and the victim were from the same village.
The prosecution contended that the accused should not be granted bail because of the seriousness of the crime. He added that a strong message needs to be sent out to society that such shameful acts should not be encouraged, for which it is important that the accused mustn’t be granted bail.
It has become clear that Adil created a false ID: Bharuch Sessions Court
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court stated that it would not be delving into the case’s merits or discussing the evidence at this point in time because those topics would anyway be covered during the trial. Having said that, it is evident from the evidence that the accused contacted the victim using a fictitious ID. Not only this, but the accused continued to identify himself as ‘Arya Patel’ instead of revealing his real name even when he met the victim in person.
“The accused had already been misleading the victim by concealing his religious identity. Above that, he proposed to her even though he was married and living with his wife,” the court noted, turning down the bail request.
“The two had never met previously, and the accused used a fictitious name to get in touch with the victim and was successful to some extent. Such behaviour ought to be denounced.” the court added.
Bail would embolden such criminals: Court
The court said, “Given the modus operandi of the accused, if bail is granted, it will embolden such criminals and they would continue to exploit the girls by luring them under the grab of false promises. If he is acquitted, it will open the door for more criminals who are searching for ways to take advantage of helpless girls, the court added.
The judge further stated, “In this case the accused has not only played with the sentiments of the victim but also wronged his wife.” The court noted the significance of the case, saying, “This case can be an eye-opener for today’s generation, who mindlessly accept requests on social media without knowing anything about the other person.”
The court denied the bail request after hearing arguments from both parties and taking into account the facts, the evidence, and the accused’s mode of operation. The order was delivered on March 26, a copy of which is with OpIndia.
