E-Paper
‘Baseless’: Police on woman’s complaint of ‘love jihad’ against former partner
After investigating into the “love jihad” claims of a woman against her former live-in partner, the police said there was no intensions terming the claims as baseless
Police found a 37-year-old woman’s “love jihad” claims as baseless after investigating into the allegations she made against her former live-in partner, officer familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
‘Love jihad’ is a term used by right-wing groups to describe an alleged conspiracy by Muslim men to woo and seduce Hindu women, although courts and the Union government do not officially recognise it.
The woman made the allegations after finding out that her former partner was engaged to another woman, two years after they split up, police said.
Last week, a team of Karnataka police officials, arrested Mozif Ashraf Beigh (32), from the Zakura area of Srinagar in Kashmir after the woman made allegations including love jihad against him, in a social media post.
“@PoliceBangalore @DGPKarnataka @PMOIndia @CPBlr Sir, I am a victim of love jihad, rape, unnatural sex, and forceful religious conversion. Kindly provide me with police assistance in Bangalore immediately, as my life is in danger (sic),” the post by the woman on X claimed.
On September 7, a first information report (FIR) was filed at the Bellandur Police Station, and the case was then transferred to the Hebbagodi Police Station on September 14, as it fell under their jurisdiction.
The FIR against the accused involved charges under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 417 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Section 5 of the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022.
According to the FIR, the woman, who worked at a private firm in the city, met the suspect in 2018. She alleged that the suspect had a physical relationship with her and attempted to convert her into a different faith by promising to marry her. The woman also accused the suspect of engaging in forced “unnatural sex” at his residence.
“The two were colleagues at an IT firm in the city. In 2018, they met each other. After living together for three years, they broke up, after which the accused went to Pune for work. Despite the break up, both remained in touch. But recently, Beigh got engaged to another woman in his hometown. When the woman got to know about this, she filed a case accusing him of love jihad,” a police officer in the know of the developments said.
“After investigation, we found that there is no love jihad angle in this case. So, we are dropping the charges. But there will be charges of rape, fraud and criminal intimidation against the accused,” the police officer added.
