Hindu man converted to Islam voluntarily after marriage: Police

VARANASI: : A Hindu man in his late twenties, resident of Amauli village in the Chaubeypur area of Varanasi, married a Muslim woman and converted to Islam voluntarily over 16 months ago, said a senior police officer on Thursday.

The matter came to light when a conversion form bearing the picture of the man went viral on social media on Wednesday, the police officer added.

Taking cognizance of the paper (form), the police probed the matter, the officer said.

A team led by additional superintendent of police (ASP) Neeraj Pandey reached the Amauli village and met his family members who said the man lived in Varanasi city.

His family members, including his elder brother and the elder brother’s wife were surprised on hearing that he had converted to Islam and called it a rumour.

The officer said the police team spoke to the man on the phone and questioned him. During the questioning, the man said he did MBA and started working in a hospital as an office manager, adding that he fell in love with a Muslim woman over two years ago and married her.

The officer said the man revealed the couple had a daughter now.

His wife wanted him to do Umrah and, therefore, he prepared the documents in February 2020 after accepting Islam voluntarily, the man said, according to the police.

But he couldn’t go for Umrah due to Covid-19.

[Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the aj which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.]

The officer revealed that the man said that he still used his Hindu name and credentials at the hospital where he was employed at present.

Varanasi’s superintendent of police (Rural) Amit Verma said, “The probe revealed that the youth married his Muslim girlfriend and accepted Islam voluntarily. There was no pressure on him (for the conversion).”

He added that the man still used his Hindu name at the hospital where he worked and at other places.

The man said he was not interested in disclosing the name of the hospital where he works in Varanasi. He said he was living peacefully with his family.

He also said no one was troubling him and added, “I am living peacefully.”

The probe revealed that the youth married his Muslim girlfriend and accepted Islam voluntarily. There was no pressure on him (for the conversion) AMIT VERMA, Varanasi’s superintendent of police (Rural)