2 held in MP for ‘forcing’ minors to convert, kin of accused allege frame-up

The family members of the accused said the girls knew Sohail for several years and they had gone to Khargone to celebrate Sohail’s birthday

Published on: Feb 28, 2021, 11:41:11 IST

By Shruti Tomar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Bhopal

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Two boys were arrested under the newly-ordained MP Freedom of Religion Ordinance on allegations of sexually harassing two minor girls and forcing them to convert in Indore on Saturday, said police. However, the family of the accused contest police’s theory and allege a frame-up by Hindu Rakshak Sangathan.

Indore police claims the minor girls complaint that the accused sexually harassed them while taking a selfie. (Representative image)

The accused Sohail Khan, 19 and Hasan Khan, 20, were arrested under Section 363 (abduction), 354 (sexual harassment) and 3/5 of MP Freedom of Religion Ordinance.

Indore’s Azad Nagar police station in-charge Manish Daver said, “Two 16-year-old class 12 students had gone to a party in Khargone to celebrate Sohail’s birthday in Hasan Khan’s car. The minor girls said the accused sexually harassed them while taking a selfie. When the victims refused, the accused forced them for conversion and marriage.”

“Later two people Ramesh Jat and Nitin Patidaar from Hindu Rakshak Sangathan saw the girls’ plight and came to help the girls," he added.

"The girls filed the complaint at Maheshwar police station in Khargone on Friday night and later Indore police registered the case at Azad Nagar police station on Saturday,” said the police officer. Police are investigating the matter.

However, the family members of the accused said the girls knew Sohail for several years and they had gone to Khargone to celebrate Sohail’s birthday.

Also Read: Will stop conversion of Hindu girls with a strict law: Gujarat CM Rupani

“Hindu Rakshak Sangathan members created ruckus when they were taking a selfie and forced the girls to file a complaint against the boys. Hasan met the girls for the first time. How’s it possible for him to force someone for marriage and conversion in the very first meeting,” asked one of the brothers of the accused, who didn’t wish to be named.

Hindu Rakshak Sangathan member Nitin Patidar said, “The boys were forcing the girls for a selfie and the girls were refusing to do so. When we reached there to help the girls, the girls shared their ordeal. We just helped the girls like a common man.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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