A Hindu youth identified as Rohit Kumar recently committed suicide, reportedly after facing pressure from some individuals to convert to Islam. The incident is from Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. In video that had gone viral, Rohit had stated that accused persons Sattar and Salmann had filed a ‘false case’ against him, were forcing him to marry a Muslim girl, and convert to Islam.
Rohit’s family members allege that Sattar, Salman, and others filed a case against Rohit under the POCSO Act after he refused to accept Islam. The accused also are said to have pressured the deceased to marry a Muslim girl.
However, before committing suicide by consuming poison on Saturday (18th November), Rohit expressed his emotional state through video recording. At present, one of the accused has been arrested, and the rest are being looked for by the Police.
The complaint in this regard has been filed at the Vidhuna police station of Auraiya district. The mother of the deceased, Sarojini Devi, a resident of Barke Purva village has filed the complaint in which she said that Rohit knew Sattar and that they were good friends. The duo used to visit each other often. Rohit also used to go to his house. In the course of visits, he got acquainted with Sattar’s daughter.
It is alleged that Sattar wanted to get his daughter married to Rohit. Therefore, he along with Salman and Bunty Khan pressurized Rohit to accept Islam. The family of the deceased allege that when Rohit refused to leave the Hindu religion, the accused lodged an FIR against him at Sahar police station in Auraiya on 6th September 2023.
Salman accused Rohit of kidnapping his sister, claiming she was a minor, in this FIR. Along with Rohit, the other two identified as Anuj and Aryan Khan were named in the same case, and they were accused of assisting Rohit in the kidnapping. Based on the FIR, the Police then arrested Rohit under relevant sections.
However, while talking exclusively to OpIndia, the sister of the deceased said that the girl who was claimed to be a minor by Salman was an adult. Rohit was then accused of raping and kidnapping a ‘minor girl’ under the POCSO Act, as per his sister. POCSO charges against Rohit were added after the initial FIR was filed. He was in jail for about a month or so after which he was released.
He then started earning his living by driving an e-rickshaw. On 15th November, at around 7 am, Sattar, Salman, Bunty Khan, Dulli Khan, Tunnan Khan, and Vakil Khan reached Rohit’s house, as per the family’s complaint. The accused had knives and weapons in their hands which they used to pressure Rohit to convert to Islam. Rohit was also threatened and was told that his parents would be sent to jail if he failed to convert to Islam.
Sarojini Devi claims that the villagers’ intervention saved her family’s life. Even after they left the village, Sattar and his associates continued to press Rohit to accept Islam. Rohit’s sister told OpIndia that Rohit had declared that he would not leave Hinduism under any circumstances.
On 18th November, under some urge or pressure, Rohit narrated his entire ordeal in a video and then consumed poison. He accuses Sattar’s family members of torturing him in the video.
The Auraiya Police meanwhile confirmed the incident and acknowledged Rohit Kumar’s viral video where he has stated that he was being pressurised to convert to Islam. “Rohit was in jail under POCSO and was also charged under section 376 of IPC. However, he was released on bail on 3rd November on the orders of the High Court. As per the complaint of Rohit’s family, he was asked to convert his religion to Islam and marry the Muslim family’s girl. He was being pressured to convert so he consumed poison on 18th November and died during treatment. One person has been arrested. Others are being looked for,” Police said.
थाना बिधूना क्षेत्रान्तर्गत ग्राम बरकेपुर्वा निवासी युवक द्वारा जहरीला पदार्थ खाकर आत्महत्या करने की घटना व वायरल वीडियो से सम्बन्धित प्रकरण के संबंध में मृतक के परिजनों की तहरीर पर सुसंगत धाराओं में अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया है,जिसके सम्बन्ध SP औरैया द्वारा दी गयी बाइट @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/lgHckRVB1F
— Auraiya Police (@auraiyapolice) November 21, 2023
Police have registered a case naming Sattar, Salman, Bunty, Vakil, Dulli, and Tunnan Khan in this matter. Action is being taken against all of them under sections 147, 506, and 306 of IPC along with section 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act.
OpIndia has the FIR copy. According to Auraiya Superintendent of Police Charu Nigam, one accused has been arrested and the rest are being looked for and the matter is being investigated.
This news was originally published in Hindi. The link to the original article is here.
