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India Today
22-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Madhya Pradesh rattled by spate of ‘love jihad' cases: What police found
The Madhya Pradesh police, over the past couple of months, have been dealing with a series of crimes that, owing to their communal overtone, could blow up into wider law and order issues in the state. The alleged 'love jihad' cases threaten to keep the communal cauldron on the boil and were perpetrated despite the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, a law enacted to deter religious conversions through force, undue influence, coercion or fraud, including those done in the name of April, six Muslim men were arrested in Bhopal after a woman complained that she had been sexually exploited by some of them. The woman alleged she was being blackmailed over her intimate videos with one of the men. She told the police she was being pressured to convert to police invoked provisions of Freedom of Religion Act and rape laws against the accused. The case soon expanded to several women studying in an engineering college in Bhopal. Matters took a communal turn as all the accused were from the minority community while the women were July 1, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sent a letter to the state chief secretary and director general of police (DGP), asking them to ensure that the complainants, who had discontinued their studies following the alleged exploitation, be given readmission in college. The NHRC increased the compensation for each woman from the Rs 50,000 announced by the state government to Rs 5 lakh. The panel has asked the state government to rehabilitate the complainants and pay the fees for those students who dropped out of college due to the case. The panel also asked for disciplinary action against police personnel who had ordered the demolition of a restaurant where the women had allegedly been sexually exploited, terming it as destruction of another case in April, four Hindu girls—three of them minors—from Bichrod village in Ujjain district filed a police complaint that they had been raped and were under coercion to convert. The six accused in the case, including a minor, are June, four men from the minority community in Nagda in Ujjain were booked for rape and under provisions of the Freedom of Religion Act after four Hindu girls pressed charges that they had been sexually exploited and asked to May, Mohsin Khan, a coach at Indore's Dream Olympic Shooting Academy, was booked for allegedly sexually exploiting a former student. The girl claimed she had been harassed in 2023 and had been threatened all this while not to speak out. The police claimed Khan's phone contained videos of him exploiting girls, mostly his students. The Bajrang Dal's local chapter termed the case as 'love jihad'.In June, two men, Sahil Sheikh and Altaf Shah, alleged they had been paid money by Anwar Qadri, a Congress corporator in the Indore Municipal Corporation, to marry Hindu women and convert them. Qadri has been booked by the police. The matter has taken a political turn with the Congress terming the allegations as political in the state have lately emerged as new communal battlegrounds, with some Hindu groups demanding that Hindu women be trained only by members of their community. A video went viral of a police sub-inspector in Bhopal purportedly asking gym owners not to allow Muslim trainers. He was transferred following a hue and state police have formed a special investigation team (SIT), headed by Bhopal inspector general Abhay Singh, to probe the Bhopal cases. An advisory has also been issued for college students by the Crime Against Women cell of the police. 'Investigations are on in the cases and a report will be submitted soon,' said said the investigations had not found any financial angle or evidence of an organised gang at Congress has blamed the ruling BJP for the law and order situation. 'For any crime happening in the state, the BJP government is directly or indirectly responsible as they have been in power for almost two decades. This is not a communal issue but that of women in general being unsafe in the state,' said Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafiz. Criticising BJP leaders for allegedly making communal statements on these cases, Hafiz added: 'Communal statements only disrupt harmony and help certain parties gain votes.'advertisementWhile Hindu groups were raking up 'love jihad', a case was reported in which the woman was a Muslim and had allegedly been befriended by a Hindu youth by posing as Muslim. This prompted some Muslim groups to challenge the contours of the term 'love jihad'.Meanwhile, a petition came up in the high court that the term 'love jihad' not be used by the media in its reporting. The court refused to to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
Police file chargesheet against two accused
Bhopal: Bagh Sevania police, on Thursday, filed a chargesheet against Ferhan Khan and Sahil Khan, accused of rape, blackmail, and pressuring two sisters to convert to Islam. Along with the 250-page chargesheet, a list of 57 witnesses was also presented in the court of special POCSO judge Neelam Mishra. Two sibling girls lodged a complaint at Bagh Sevania police station, accusing Ferhan Khan, a student of MBA at a private college, of rape, blackmailing, and pressuring them to convert. In their statement to the police, the girls said that they studied in a private college, where Ferhan raped them, blackmailed them, and also mounted pressure to convert to Islam. Scared of Ferhan's nefarious activities, they shifted to a college in Indore, but they couldn't escape Ferhan's torture. He continued to force them to have a physical relationship with him, make videos of the act, blackmail them, and ask them to convert. Ferhan's friend Sahil also used to accompany him at times. Bagh Sevania police registered a case against Ferhan and Sahil Khan under section 137 (2), 64, 64 (2) (M), 115 (2), and 351 (2) of BNS, in addition to section 5 (L) & 6 of the POCSO Act and section 3 & 5 of the Freedom of Religion Act. In this case, some other girls lodged complaints at Ashoka Garden and Jahangirabad police stations against Ferhan, Sahil, and some other accused. Chargesheets relating to those complaints would be lodged in the competent court once the investigation is over. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hans India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Supreme Court Grants Relief To Man Detained Over Interfaith Union
The Supreme Court has granted bail to a man who faced imprisonment under Uttarakhand's Freedom of Religion Act following his marriage to a woman from a different religious background. The apex court emphasized that both individuals were consenting adults who entered into matrimony with complete awareness of each other's religious affiliations and with the full knowledge and presence of their respective families. In delivering its judgment, the court articulated that the state lacks any legitimate grounds to object to the couple's cohabitation, particularly given that their union was conducted according to the wishes and approval of both families involved. This judicial pronouncement underscores the constitutional principle that adult citizens possess the fundamental right to make personal choices regarding marriage and residence. The case centers around Aman Siddiqui, who also goes by the name Aman Chaudhary, and his subsequent arrest following complaints filed by extended members of his wife's family along with certain unspecified organizations. The formal complaint was lodged at Rudrapur police station in Udham Singh Nagar district, leading to charges under Section 3/5 of the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act as well as Sections 318(4) and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The legal proceedings took a challenging turn when the Uttarakhand High Court initially rejected Siddiqui's bail application, resulting in his incarceration for approximately six months. This prolonged detention occurred despite arguments from his legal representation that the marriage was an arranged union conducted through proper family channels rather than any clandestine or coercive arrangement. Defense counsel presented arguments emphasizing the legitimate nature of the matrimonial alliance, noting that the marriage had been arranged through traditional family processes. However, the legal team acknowledged that certain individuals and organizations had raised objections to the union following its completion, leading to the criminal charges and subsequent arrest. The lawyer representing Siddiqui provided assurances to the court that, upon the granting of bail, the couple would establish their residence independently from their respective families. This arrangement was proposed to ensure they could continue their married life peacefully without external interference or pressure from opposing parties. The Supreme Court's decision reflects a broader judicial approach that prioritizes individual rights and constitutional freedoms over religious or social objections to interfaith marriages. The court's reasoning centers on the fundamental principle that adult citizens possess the autonomy to make decisions about their personal relationships and living arrangements without unwarranted state intervention. This ruling carries significance beyond the immediate case, as it reinforces legal precedents supporting interfaith marriages conducted between consenting adults. The judgment emphasizes that marriages performed with family knowledge and consent, regardless of religious differences, deserve legal protection rather than criminal prosecution. The apex court has directed the trial court to facilitate Siddiqui's immediate release from custody, bringing an end to his extended detention. This directive ensures swift implementation of the bail order and allows the couple to resume their married life while any remaining legal proceedings continue through appropriate channels. The case highlights ongoing tensions between religious conversion laws and constitutional protections for personal freedom, particularly in matters of marriage and religious choice. The Supreme Court's intervention serves as a reminder that individual rights must be balanced against community concerns while ensuring that legal frameworks do not infringe upon fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
Shooting academy coach booked for gangrape of minor, fifth FIR registered
Indore: Annapurna police on Monday registered a case of gangrape against Mohsin Khan , coach and owner of a shooting academy and his two accomplices. They have been accused of holding a minor captive during lockdown and gangraping her. "On the complaint of the minor, a case of gangrape was registered against Mohsin and two others ---Faizan and Imran. Faizan and Imran are brothers. The case was registered under various sections of the POCSO and 3/5 of the Freedom of Religion Act," said ACP Shivendu Joshi. In her complaint, the girl, who was a minor at the time of the alleged crime, mentioned that she was employed in domestic work due to financial difficulties after her father's death. She was introduced to Mohsin through an acquaintance and began working at his flat. "In February 2020, Mohsin began making inappropriate physical contact with me, forcing me to sit on his lap, undressing me, and dressing me in new clothes in his presence. Mohsin repeatedly assaulted me in unnatural ways and continued the abuse over time," the complaint read. According to the girl, Mohsin's associates Faizan and Imran also visited him frequently and behaved inappropriately with her. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo During the lockdown, the three allegedly kept her confined for 15 days and took turns raping her. She also accused them of showing her obscene videos, filming her against her will, forcing her to eat meat, and threatening to kill her and her widowed mother if she resisted or told anyone. "They pressured me to convert to Islam and marry Imran, using threats and a pistol to intimidate me," she mentioned in her complaint. Police suspect that Mohsin deleted significant data from his mobile phone and have involved cyber experts to attempt recovery. Another team is gathering information on his contacts and questioning other victims. DCP Rishikesh Meena confirmed that Mohsin was being interrogated in three different FIRs involving rape, cheating, and molestation. Authorities are also scrutinizing his bank accounts for possible external funding, as some organizations have alleged that Mohsin received financial support for his activities. "Mohsin who was in judicial custody was produced before the court on Monday and taken on a seven-day police remand. The police will bring him from jail for further interrogation related to the new charges," said ACP Shivendu Joshi.
The Print
06-05-2025
- The Print
MP police constitutes SIT to probe cases of ‘targeted love trap', forced conversions
As per the order issued by the police headquarters, the SIT was constituted to investigate incidents of vulnerable girls and women getting targeted, exploited and forced to convert under fear and pressure in some districts of Madhya Pradesh. The Director General of Police (DGP) has constituted the SIT after the recent case of rape of college girls in Bhopal and the possibility of other such cases in the state, Additional Director General (Crime Against Women) Pragya Richa Srivastava told PTI. Bhopal, May 6 (PTI) In light of the alleged rape of college girls in Bhopal, the Madhya Pradesh police have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe cases related to 'targeted love trap' and 'coerced religious conversions' across the state, an official said on Tuesday. The order stated that the police had received information about such criminal activities in some districts, where girls and women from socially insecure and weaker sections have been targeted through 'love trap, deception, threat or other temptations and have been exploited mentally, physically and socially'. In these incidents, the victims have been allegedly converted on the basis of fear, pressure or deception, it said. The order said the SIT would investigate in detail such incidents and identify persons, organisations or gangs involved in the acts and ensure strict legal action against them. The team will also probe the involvement of any interstate or foreign network and collect evidence by analysing cyber and digital means. The SIT, headed by the Inspector General of Police, Bhopal (Rural) Zone, is also told to present the necessary measures and recommendations to prevent such incidents in future, the order stated. The Bhopal police have arrested five accused, including the main accused, Farhan Ali, for allegedly raping girl students of a private college by hiding their identities and blackmailing them by making videos. A case was registered against Ali and other accused at Ashoka Garden police station under sections 64 (rape), 61 (gang-rape) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Information and Technology Act and Freedom of Religion Act. According to officials, the complainants claimed that the accused raped them after hiding their identities and blackmailed them with videos. Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the National Commission for Women (NCW) also constituted a three-member inquiry committee headed by retired IPS officer and former Jharkhand Director General of Police Nirmal Kaur, which has started the probe. PTI ADU ARU This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
