Bareilly court judge explains ‘love jihad’ in order, sentences man to ‘entire life’ in jail

A judge in a Bareilly fast track court, explained what ‘love jihad’ is in a detailed 42 page order after sentencing a man to spending his ‘entire life’ in jail

In a fast track court in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a judge gave a 42-page order detailing what the term ‘love jihad’ means after sentencing a Muslim man to his ‘entire life’ in jail, despite the woman rescinding her testimony, reported The Times of India.

A muslim man was sentenced to jail for 'love jihad' even after the woman revised her testimony claiming right wing pressure (Representational image)

Additional district and sessions judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar made the case an example of ‘love jihad’ and highlighted the “deceit” and “religious conversion” that defines these cases. Judge Diwakar was also known for his role in calling for a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi in 2022.

The case has been ongoing since May 2023, when a 22-year-old woman lodged a complaint against, then 23-year-old, Mohd Aalim Ahmed, stating that when they met in a coaching centre in Bareilly in 2022, he introduced himself as Anand Kumar and she only discovered the truth of his identity after their marriage.

The woman gave her statement against the accused on July 31 and Aalim was charged under rape under section 376-2n, criminal intimidation under section 506, and voluntarily causing hurt under section 323 of the IPC, reported The Times of India.

However, on September 19, the woman stated that her previous testimony had been false, due to right wing groups who had put pressure on her parents.

The court, however, dismissed her change in statement, attributing it to undue influence from the accused.

“The primary aim of ‘love jihad' is to alter demographics and stir international tensions, driven by radical factions within a religious group. Essentially, it refers to the deceptive conversion of non-Muslim women to Islam through fraudulent marriages, ” the judge said during the hearing.

The judge also brought up the issue of foreign funding being involved in ‘love jihad’, noting that the woman lived alone, away from parents and had an expensive android phone despite not being employed.

“These illegal conversions are carried out by certain extremist individuals who either engage in or support such activities. However, it's important to note that these actions are not reflective of the entire religious community. The process of ‘love jihad' involves significant financial resources, and in this case, it is likely that foreign funding is involved.”