A case of “love jihad” has come to light from the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh where a Muslim youth trapped and raped a girl by posing as a Hindu. The accused has been identified as Zakir Ansari from Baghpat who also made obscene videos of the victim and blackmailed her. Zakir later started to pressurise her to convert to Islam and threatened to kill her when she refused. His sister, brother, and mother are also complicit in the crime. On 24th August, the authorities registered a case and started an investigation.
The matter pertains to the Jhinjhana police station area of Shamli district where the girl submitted a complaint and informed that she studies in the Shahdara area of Delhi and sometimes used to catch a train to return home where she met the offender a few months ago. He initially introduced himself as Jackie and charmed her. After a few days, Zakir approached her on social media and gradually gained her trust. One day, he visited her room in Delhi along with food items and cold drinks in the name of discussing studies. The drinks were reportedly drugged and she fell unconscious after consuming them after which he exploited the situation and sexually assaulted her. He also recorded footage of her and snapped many pictures.
Zakir again called her to meet him after some time but she refused, and then he threatened to share the videos and images on social media. The girl was forced to allow the perpetrator back into her room and he sexually violated her again. On the same day, she learned about the real identity of ‘Jackie’ after seeing his identity card. The latter then statred to push her to marry him and she agreed to his demand out of fear. A day or two later, he returned to her room and insisted on having a physical relationship. The distressed girl eventually blocked his number.
After being unable to communicate for several days, Zakir Ansari became enraged and went to her coaching centre where he again pressured her to tie the knot with him and change her religion. He threatened to upload all her inappropriate pictures and videos online and drive her to commit suicide if she didn’t comply. “Uttar Pradesh Police cannot do anything to me,” he declared and left after threatening her.
Afterwards, his brother Shakir and sisters Nikhat and Soni started calling and messaging the girl and pressurised her to embrace Islam. They even issued death threats after she objected. The girl left her studies and came back to her village in Jhinjhana due to the intimidation. However, Zakir Ansari continued to pursue her and visited her village with a friend. He cleverly managed to take the phone of one of her relatives and called her to say, “Today I am calling from your brother’s number from outside your house. Next time, I will shoot them and whisk you away.”
She eventually grew terrified of these threats and confided in her family members. The accused then started demanding money from her family when they tried to request him to leave her. Notably, a female leader from Baghpat is also threatening the victim and her family on his behalf. Finally, the girl notified the authorities with the consent of her family and demanded action against Zakir Ansari, his brother, his sisters, and the politician in her complaint.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed under Sections 64(2)(m), 351(3), 308(1) and 123 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The probe and further police action are underway. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR.
