Cops seize 36 SIMs in ‘ love jihad’ row
As many as 36 mobile phone SIM cards, 15 mobile phone handsets, two computer CPUs and a VIP car beacon were among the articles seized from the premises in Jharkhand capital Ranchi of “love jihad” accused Rakibul Hassan Khan alias Ranjit Singh Kohli by the police during search operations on Sunday.
Khan, 38, who has been in a three- day police custody along with his ageing mother after they were arrested in Delhi, was with the police teams during the raids. Khan, who says he is a Hindu but also observes Islam by keeping a Muslim name alongside his Hindu name, faces charges of forcing his newly married Hindu wife, national rifle shooting champion Tara Sahdev, to convert to Islam just days after their July 7 marriage conducted as per complete Hindu rituals.
“We will verify all these mobile phone SIM cards and examine the CPUs’ contents and the documents seized today. A CD containing video footage of Kohli and Tara’s wedding ceremony was also recovered,” said Ranchi SSP Prabhat Kumar to journalists. He said four printers, two air shooting guns, documents related to court and 50 empty cases of mobile handsets were also recovered from the house of Kohli alias Khan at his Blair Apartments flat. There were no seizures in the search conducted at his second house, said sources.
Political implications of the raging controversy, dubbed as “love jihad,” became evident when Raghubar Das, a senior leader of the main Opposition BJP visited Ms Sahdev at her parents’ home.