‘Love jihad' threat to nation's integrity, says court, gives man 7-yr jail sentence
A Yamunanagar court has sentenced a man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting and intimidating a minor Hindu girl to coerce her into a relationship with a Muslim juvenile, terming the case one of 'love jihad'.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict and said such acts were 'a potential threat' to the nation's sovereignty and integrity.
While acknowledging that 'love jihad' is not a legal term under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or the
Pocso Act
, the court described it as a 'purported campaign by Muslim men to convert non-Muslim women to Islam by pretending to be in love.'
In Nov last year, a 14-yearold girl filed a complaint at City Yamunanagar police station, naming Shahbaj and a juvenile.
She alleged the boy had stalked her on her way to school while Shahbaj pressured her to befriend him.
The FIR invoked sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of BNS, and sections 17 (abetment), 8 (sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment of a child) under Pocso. The defence counsel, SS Nehra, argued that the accused was falsely implicated.
However, additional sessions judge Ranjana Aggarwal, in her July 17 order, said Shahbaj systematically tried to force an interfaith relationship through 'allurement and inducement.' The court awarded him four years under Pocso Section 8, two years under Section 12, and one year under BNS Section 351(2), with fines totalling Rs 1 lakh. All sentences will run consecutively
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
8 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Six, including couple, held for performing illegal abortions in Cuddalore
The Cuddalore New Town police have arrested six persons, including a couple, for allegedly carrying out illegal abortions at Pudupalayam in Cuddalore, on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). The arrests were made following a complaint lodged by Health Department officials. The arrested persons were identified as Sivagurunathan, 55, his wife Uma Maheshwari, 40, Moorthy, 37, Veeramani, 36, Abiyas, 50, and Thangam, 43. The police said Sivagurunathan and Uma Maheshwari ran a vocational training institute at Pudupalayam. The duo claimed they were doctors and illegally used pregnancy abortion kits. Sivagurunathan had studied Agriculture, while his wife had studied nursing. Following a complaint, the police team raided the institute and seized surgical instruments and pills, including those used for abortion. The institute's registration had also not been renewed for the past three years, and it had been functioning illegally. A case was registered against the accused under Sections 61 (2) and 318 (2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Section 34 of the National Medical Commission Act. The accused were produced before a local court and remanded to custody.
India.com
8 minutes ago
- India.com
Bad news for Flipkart, ED files complaint against Myntra in Rs 16540000000 alleged violations of…
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a complaint under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, against Myntra Designs Private Limited, its associated entities, and directors over alleged violations totaling Rs 1,654.35 crore, the agency announced on Wednesday. The action was initiated by ED's Bengaluru Zonal Office following credible information that Myntra Designs Private Limited (Myntra) and its related companies are doing Multi Brand Retail Trade (MBRT) in the guise of 'Wholesale Cash & Carry', allegedly in violation of the extant FDI Policy. ED's Investigation Against Myntra ED said its investigation under the provisions of FEMA, 1999 revealed that 'Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd had declared that they were engaged in the business of 'wholesale cash & carry' and invited and received FDI from foreign investors equivalent to Rs 1654,35,08,981 and that they sold majority of their goods to Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd (who sold the goods in retail to the ultimate customer).' 'That Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd and Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd are related parties and belong to the same group or group of companies,' said the agency. It further said that Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd was created and continued to be used as a corporate entity to bifurcate the B2C (business to customer i.e. Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd to retail customers) transaction into B2B (Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd to Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd) and then B2C (Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd to retail customers). ED investigation also revealed that Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd was actually carrying out multi-brand retail trading in the guise of 'wholesale cash & carry'. 'Even otherwise, Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd have not satisfied the condition laid down for 'wholesale cash and carry trading' as they have made cent per cent sales to Vector E-Commerce Pvt Ltd which is in contravention of amendment dated April 1, 2010 and October 1, 2010 which permitted only 25 per cent sale to companies belonging to the same group or group companies.' As per the ED, Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd and others have contravened the provisions as per section 6(3)(b) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and Consolidated FDI Policy dated April 1, 2010 and consolidated FDI Policy dated October 1, 2010 to the tune of Rs. 1654,35,08,981. (With Inputs From ANI)
News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
Delhi: Inspired by crime shows, BSF constable robs jewellery store using toy gun
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) A BSF constable, who joined the force a month ago, was arrested for robbing a Delhi jewellery store with a toy gun in broad daylight, after allegedly getting inspired by crime shows following losses in online gambling, an official said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Gaurav Yadav (22), had completed his training in May 2025 after he enrolled in the Border Security Force (BSF) in 2023, the official added. 'Yadav was posted in the BSF in Fazilka, Punjab. On June 18, a day before the robbery, he took leave and travelled to Delhi, where he planned the heist while waiting to switch trains," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said in a statement. The incident occurred on June 19 at a jewellery store in Farsh Bazar, when a man entered the store brandishing what appeared to be a pistol and stole four gold bracelets before fleeing on foot. A case under Section 309(4) (robbery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Farsh Bazar Police Station, and an investigation was launched, the DCP added. Police carried out technical surveillance, analysed multiple CCTV footage, call detail records (CDRs), and Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) dump data, and raised several queries on the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). 'After sustained efforts and detailed analysis, the accused was identified as a BSF constable posted in Fazilka, Punjab. A raid was conducted at his native village in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, where he was apprehended. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime," DCP Gautam said. According to the police, Yadav allegedly developed a gambling addiction, incurred significant losses, and plotted the robbery after watching crime shows. 'He bought a toy pistol from a local shop and used it to commit the robbery. He later travelled to Meerut, then Lucknow, and finally reached his home in Shivpuri, where he sold two of the stolen bracelets and deposited Rs 2 lakh into a bank account," the DCP added. The police recovered two gold bracelets from his home and identified the account where the Rs 2 lakh had been deposited. Gaurav had no prior criminal record, the police noted, adding that further investigation is underway. PTI SSJ SSJ MPL MPL view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 16:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
