India
If GoI doesn’t stop love jihad, India may face serious consequences in future: UP court
UP court sentences man to life imprisonment for alleged love jihad; woman later claimed Hindutva men pressured her to file FIR
Bareilly: A court in Uttar Pradesh has declared that ‘love jihad’— an unofficial term used by Hindutva groups to refer to alleged campaign by Muslim men to convert Hindu girls under pretext of marriage — poses a threat to the country and hinted at possible “foreign funding” in orchestrating religious conversions.
The court sentenced a Muslim man, Mohammed Aalim, to life imprisonment for marrying a Hindu woman by concealing his religious identity.
Additional district and sessions judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar also fined Aalim Rs1 lakh and sentenced his father to two years in prison.
Aalim was accused of pretending to be Anand to deceive a Hindu woman into marriage in Bareilly district. According to the prosecution, Aalim met the woman at a coaching center, married her in a temple, and later induced an abortion without her consent by lacing a drink with medicine.
The woman later filed an FIR accusing Aalim of hiding his identity, marrying her under false pretenses, engaging in a physical relationship, and inducing the abortion.
The judge stated, “It’s a matter of attempted illegal religious conversion through love jihad…love jihad requires large amounts of money and so foreign funding can’t be ruled out.”
The court emphasised that the goal of ‘love jihad’ is to change demographics and is driven by certain religious groups, while clarifying that the entire community should not be held accountable.
“The country will face serious consequences if illegal religious conversions through love jihad are not stopped,” he added.
Interestingly, the woman in the case later recanted her statements, claiming she filed the complaint under pressure from right-wing groups, PTI reported.
Notably, the same judge, Ravi Kumar Diwakar, previously ordered the videography and sealing of the ‘wazukhana’ at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex while serving in Varanasi.
