A harrowing incident of Love Jihad has come to light from Chandan Nagar, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. A man named Arshad Pathan allegedly posed as a Hindu man named Harish and coerced a Hindu woman into a relationship. According to the complaint filed by the 24-year-old woman, Arshad raped her and subjected her to unnatural sexual assault. He also coerced her to convert to Islam.
The victim stated in her complaint that his family was involved in the crime, including his brother Sabir, father Qadir, and three women who intimidated and threatened her. A case has been registered against all six accused. All of them are absconding. Investigation into the matter is underway, and the police are searching for the accused.
Ordeal of the victim – How trust turned into a nightmare
The victim is a resident of Chandan Nagar, Indore. She sells goods with her mother to earn her livelihood. Around six months ago, she met Arshad, who works as an auto driver, during her commute. Arshad introduced himself as Harish. He gained the victim’s trust by pretending to be Hindu. He claimed that he was an orphan and slowly became part of her daily life.
Over time, Arshad developed a relationship with her. The victim and her mother started riding in his auto frequently. He expressed a desire to marry the victim and sought her family’s approval. In August, he visited the victim’s home and formally expressed his intentions to marry her. However, during this visit, he allegedly raped the victim. By this time, the victim was unaware of his real identity and trusted him.
Arshad did everything possible to conceal his religious background. He participated in Hindu religious events such as Ganesh Visarjan and followed Hindu rituals, including temple visits. His actions gave the impression that he belonged to the Hindu community. However, his behaviour changed when the victim started raising the question of marriage repeatedly. He demanded that she convert to Islam, stating it was a requirement for their union.
Initially, the victim thought he was joking. However, she was shocked when he revealed that his real name was Arshad and insisted that she should convert to Islam so they could get married. Despite her refusal, Arshad continued to pressure her and resorted to violence. He allegedly forced unnatural sexual acts on her and claimed such actions were necessary if she wanted to marry him. When she resisted, he physically assaulted her. He stated that she must indulge in these acts as it was part of their future together.
On 9 December, the victim visited Arshad’s house, determined to uncover the truth. She found that he was not an orphan and met his father, Qadir. Later, Arshad and his brother Sabir arrived, and they got into a heated argument. During the argument, Arshad again insisted that she should convert to Islam and comply with his demands to marry him. She received another shock when Sabir suggested that if Arshad was unwilling, she could be with him instead.
The victim added in her complaint that she resisted and pushed Sabir. Irked by her actions, he dragged her into a room and threatened her with a knife. He then raped her and warned her not to disclose the incident. Traumatised by the incident, she returned home and initially did not tell anyone. For days, she avoided leaving the house. Eventually, she confided in members of Hindu organisations, who encouraged her to file a police complaint.
Six accused, including three women, booked
Following her complaint, the Chandan Nagar Police registered a case against Arshad Pathan, alias Harish, his brother Sabir, father Qadir, and three women from their family under charges including rape, unnatural sexual assault, religious conversion coercion, intimidation, and physical assault.
Speaking to the media, the police confirmed that the accused family not only intimidated the victim but also pressured her to convert to Islam as a condition for marriage. All six accused are currently absconding, and a search operation is underway.
