A case of ‘love jihad’ has come to light in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where a complaint was lodged on 14th August against a Muslim driver named Ziaul Haq alias Zia who hid his religious identity and raped a Hindu girl. He even recorded her obscene videos and blackmailed her. He pressured her to embrace Islam and marry her, however, she refused and was assaulted by him. Notably, he similarly sexually abused and blackmailed other Hindu girls as well. The authorities arrested him on 20th August.
The case pertains to the Mahanagar police station area of central Lucknow where the victim submitted a complaint which revealed that she does domestic work at a Muslim doctor’s residence. The accused who is originally from the Barabanki district lived near the house. He befriended her by claiming to be a Hindu. One day, he took her to a hotel under the pretext of having tea. He then gave her drugs to render her unconscious and sexually violated her. He also took offensive images and videos of her during the heinous act and continued to sexually exploit her repeatedly by threatening to make them viral online. After some days, he demanded Rs 1 lakh from her in exchange for deleting them.
She somehow managed to collect a small amount and handed it over to him, however, the perpetrator sent the footage and photographs to some of her relatives. Afterwards, he started to force her to become Muslim and do Nikah (Islamic wedding ceremony) with him. The distressed female blocked his number but he relentlessly harassed her by calling and texting through different numbers. He then proceeded to torment her when she went outside after she barred those numbers as well. One day he stopped her on the way and declared, “If you don’t marry me, I will tear your body into pieces. I won’t threaten you anymore. I will only show you.” OpIndia has a copy of the complaint.
मध्य जोन के थाना महानगर पुलिस टीम के द्वारा एक वांछित अभियुक्त की गिरफ्तारी की गई।
— DCP CENTRAL LKO (@dcpcentrallko) August 20, 2024
@lkopolice pic.twitter.com/vOC1U3HdDd
The victim mentioned that she was extremely depressed due to Ziaul Haq’s torture and threats. She also feared danger to her life and property. The complaint featured the name of another Hindu from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category who unveiled that the offender had also similarly harassed her.
The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him under sections 115 (2), 123, 308 (2), 352, 351 (2), 126 (2), 77 and 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The cops have already nabbed him. Further investigation and legal action into the case are underway.
