UP man booked for marrying minor Hindu girl after concealing religious identity

The main accused-- Qasim Qureshi of Nareerabad Colony in Agra-- is absconding while his father, mother, two brothers and one sister have been arrested for colluding with him in this act

An 18-year-old man was booked while five of his family members were arrested on the complaint of the father of a 16-year-old Hindu girl, who alleged that the man kidnapped his daughter and married her while concealing his real religious identity, police said on Friday.

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The main accused-- Qasim Qureshi of Nareerabad Colony in Agra-- is absconding while his father, mother, two brothers and one sister have been arrested for colluding with him in this act, they said.

“The parents of the girl, a resident of a locality within limits of Hariparvat police station in Agra city, lodged a complaint that their 16-year-old daughter was befriended by Qureshi who had introduced himself as Sonu Yadav. About 15 days back the girl went missing following which the parents launched a search operation. However, no case was lodged at that time by the parents. They later found that the man was a Muslim and had hid his real identity to marry the girl,” said SP City Rohan Pramod Botre.

The SP city added that the girl returned home on July 1 and said Qureshi married her and even impregnated her.

“On Friday, a case was registered under section 120B, 363, 376 and 420 of Indian Penal Code besides section ¾ of POCSO Act as the girl is minor. Because of religious conversion on ground of concealed identity, provision of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 has also been added,” said the SP City.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Agra North, Purshottam Khandelwal, who was instrumental in lodging of the case, demanded strict action against the accused and his early arrest.