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‘Love jihad' threat to nation's integrity, says court, gives man 7-yr jail sentence

‘Love jihad' threat to nation's integrity, says court, gives man 7-yr jail sentence

Time of India19-07-2025
Representative photo
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
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Pilgrims, clad in saffron, once walked in solemn devotion. But today, some wield hockey sticks and trishuls. They are often accompanied by trucks studded with loudspeakers that announce their presence in a manner that some would find alarming, if not threatening. 🎥 #WATCH | 🔊 Decibel levels have shot up in the capital over the past few days as a steady stream of kanwariyas with boomboxes 📢 make their way through the city for their annual pilgrimage 🙏🛕 🚨 Despite the noise levels exceeding permissible limits, the Delhi Police 👮‍♂️ and… — Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 23, 2025 Several people travelling or operating businesses on the Kanwar Yatra routes faced assaults by kanwariyas after petty disputes or inconveniences. The state's role is both silence and encouragement. This includes exempting participants from traffic laws, providing them with police escorts and showering petals on them. 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Though some FIRs were filed, such legal action did little to inhibit such behaviour. Each of these incidents weaves a larger story where acts of faith have been repurposed as performances of domination and creating spectacles of humiliation, especially for minorities. Needless to state, the intent of the Yatra is not aggression. But a few miscreants have muddied perceptions of the whole Yatra. An additional challenge was thrown up this year by a directive from the Uttar Pradesh authorities requiring vendors and shop owners to display QR code stickers outside their shops. These codes were purportedly linked to a food safety app that revealed the names and religious and caste identity of the owners. The religious identities of stall owners along the route of the Yatra has often been the cause of conflict. Kanwariyas have been known to boycott Muslim vendors or even attack them. 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The Supreme Court's reluctance this year to examine the legality of the directive on QR codes leaves the door open for future abuses. This order, like last year's directive on names, lacks legal basis and perpetuates a climate of fear. The Kanwar Yatra's devotees undeniably have the right to eat and shop at establishments of their choice – but not at the cost of forcing shop owners and staff to disclose their identities, especially amid recurring violence. When two rights clashes, the solution lies in equilibrium and upholding religious freedom while safeguarding privacy and dignity. The state must ensure that logistical measures for the Yatra do not morph into instruments of profiling or intimidation. Until then, such directives will remain not just legally untenable but socially corrosive, undermining the pluralism the Constitution seeks to protect. 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