2nd ‘love jihad’ case in UP
According to the FIR, the victim has been in a relationship with the man since Nov 2019. They got married in a temple
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Police have lodged a second case under the new law promulgated to punish forced religious conversions in India’s most populous state.
This first information report (FIR), a copy of which is in HT’s possession, was filed on Monday against a man identified as Tahir Hussain and his brothers, Sagir and Munna, under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance. The complainant is a resident of Izzat Nagar police station limits in Bareilly district.
The first FIR too was lodged in Bareilly on November 28, hours after the ordinance received governor Anandiben Patel’s assent. The state cabinet cleared the ordinance earlier this month, targeting what many right-wing groups term “love jihad”, which involves Muslim men marrying Hindu women with the aim of changing the latter’s religion after marriage. According to the ordinance, such marriages will be declared null and void.
Additional director general of police, Bareilly zone, Avinash Chandra confirmed that the FIR was registered at Izzat Nagar police station and an investigation was underway.
According to the FIR, the victim has been in a relationship with Tahir Hussain since November 2019. They started living together after getting married in a temple, the FIR said. When the woman became pregnant in November this year, she urged Hussain to get their marriage registered in court..
The FIR also said that when the woman urged family members of Hussain to get their marriage registered in court, her husband and his brothers assaulted her on November 20, resulting in an abortion.
In the FIR, the victim also alleged that Hussain told her that he did not want to marry her, but that he believed in “love jihad” and making a Hindu girl pregnant. The victim alleged that Hussain lured her by promising to marry her, but continued to rape her, the FIR said.
The first FIR under the new law was lodged by Tikram Rathore against Owais Ahmad. Both belonged to Sharifnagar village of Bareilly district. Rathore had complained in the FIR that Ahmad was pressuring his daughter to convert to Islam. They were not married, but had known each other from their college days.