ANTI-CONVERSION LAW: 4 BOOKED IN PILIBHIT, 3 HELD

LUCKNOW : Four persons have been booked in Pilibhit district under in a case of alleged abduction and unlawful religious conversion of a “minor” girl by marriage, police said.

The case was registered on Friday and three of them have been arrested while the fourth accused was absconding, they said. Circle officer of the area Prashant Singh said the main accused-- 21-year-old Munna alias Mohammed Amir-- of Bisalpur area of Pilibhit acquainted the girl from another community a few days back.

“According to a complaint lodged by girl’s father, Amir allegedly kidnapped the girl with the help of three family members on Wednesday when she was returning home from a market. They forced the girl to convert to Islam and married her off to Amir. Her family claimed that the girl was recovered from the house of Amir’s relatives on Thursday,” said Singh.

Police have booked Amir and his relatives --Anees Ahmed, Nasir Ahmed and Nazeer. So far Amir, Anees and Nasir have been arrested. Meanwhile, family members of Amir have claimed that the girl was being forced by her kin to give false statements against Amir.

“The girl is not a minor and she was friends with Amir. The girl’s family was against their relationship so they eloped. But the family members of the girls found her and are now claiming that she was kidnapped by Amir and our other relatives,” said Parvez Ahmed a relative of Amir.

Police officials declined to comment on the claim.