KANPUR, SEPTEMBER 15—The Kanpur police has set up an eight-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations into several cases of alleged forced conversion on the pretext of marriage.
The decision was taken after about 11 cases of having been reported in the last one month in Kanpur district alone in which girls from the majority community converted to the faith of the boy to marry the latter. The probe was ordered on insistence of Hindu organisations after the latter met IG Kanpur Mohit Agarwal demanding probe into the matter.
However, the issue came into prominence after a Kanpur woman, Shalini Yadav, married a Muslim man, Mohammed Faisal, in July this year.
The girl’s family alleged that it was a case of “love jihad” (a misnomer being used by certain radical organisations to demonise Muslims and tarnish the image of Islam) though the couple approached a Delhi court, denying allegations of forced conversion. Shalini even uploaded a video on the social media, claiming that she had married and converted out of her own free will.
The SIT led by Deepak Bhuker, Superintendent of Police, Kanpur (South), has been told to look into any fixed pattern or modus operandi behind the alleged incidents, the official said.
According to the official, the SIT will also investigate the alleged role of Islamic organisations, if any, in such cases.
Interestingly, most of the cases of alleged love jihad are being reported from Juhi area. The SIT will investigate if any Islamic organisation has a role in funding the ‘love jihad’ or love affair racket in Kanpur, an official said.
“There is a strong possibility that some Islamic outfits may be providing financial assistance to a handful of organisations involved in such anti-national acts,” the official claimed. Police are looking into the conspiracy angle to ascertain if youths involved in this are being funded from abroad.
The SIT has contacted local police stations and sought details of all alleged cases of love affairs reported in the past two years, he said.
Bhuker said the probe team has been extracting records related to a dozen phone numbers to establish links.
They have been gathering information about such couples, their bank accounts and recording statements of their family members, Bhuker said. Phone numbers of their aides have also been extracted.
Bhuker, however, said in the case involving Shalini Yadav, the couple had approached the Delhi high court and later appeared before a magistrate at the Tees Hazari court in the national capital, denying the allegations.
He said the woman had said that she was a major and married a man of her choice.
Since the woman is a major and there is nothing for police to do, a closure report will be sent to the court soon, the SP said.
Police are also trying to zero in on cases where the youth hid their true identity to marry women.
The Kanpur police has also arrested two men — Mohsin Khan and Aamir — in an love affair case. Mohsin Khan allegedly befriended a girl, posing as Sameer and then married her, the official added.
-IANS