An interfaith marriage was stopped, allegedly by activists of Karni Sena, at a local court in Ballia district by terming it a case of “forced conversion and love jihad”, the police said on Thursday.
The activists of the Hindutva outfit then supposedly compelled the woman to go to Kotwali police station, where police officers interceded and handed the 18-year-old woman to her parents, till she records her statement in court. The following incident occurred on Wednesday.
Ballia’s Superintendent of Police, Vipin Tada, said, “We have lodged a case on a complaint from her father that his daughter had been kidnapped. We will present her in a court soon, where she will record her statement and further action will be taken based on her statement, as the woman is an adult.”
Tada also said, “Some people alleged said that illegal conversion was taking place but nothing of that sort was found. Some people had brought her to the local police station, levelling allegations of conversion.”
The SP said the woman has been “handed over to her family and will soon record her statement in court.”
A video shared on social media shows the woman being harassed allegedly by some activists of Karni Sena, while she apparently says that she is getting married to Dilshad Siddiqui, 24 willingly. In the video, a man, who supposedly identifies himself as a Karni Sena worker, is heard asking the woman, “What is your name? What caste are you from? Which caste does the boy belong to? Is he Muslim? Why are you getting married to him?”
“To this, the woman purportedly said that she belongs to a Dalit community, is an adult, and is willingly getting married to the man.”
According to the video, Siddiqui, who belongs to Padri village under Ubhaon police station limits, was also questioned and intimidated. He reportedly left the court premises after the brawl.
In another video, which appears to have been shot afterwards at the police station, a group of people are heard talking to the woman. “How can you do this to your parents who raised you, gave you an education,” a man is heard asking her outside the police station.
Gyaneshwar Mishra, SHO, Ubhaon police station, where the case against Siddiqui was lodged, said the woman’s father, Jai Prakash, has alleged in his complaint that his daughter had not returned home for two days and that he had heard some people, including Siddiqui, had coerced her and were getting her married. “He lodged the complaint on Wednesday evening after the ruckus at the court in the afternoon,” SHO Mishra said.