UP’s new anti-conversion law, also spoken of as the ‘anti-Love Jihad’ law, is less than a month old. However, several cases affecting beleaguered Hindu families have surfaced with the coming of this law. One such case took place in Moradabad district.

On December 5, Bala Devi, a poor resident of Bijnor belonging to a Scheduled Caste community, filed an FIR against Rashid Ali (22) and his brother Saleem Ali (25) for luring her daughter Pinky (22) into ‘Nikah’ and deceitfully converting her to Islam for the same. It is to be understood that conversion through marriage can lead to severe punishment under the new law. It must also be comprehended that helping such marriages, being a party to them or promoting them can lead you behind the bars as in case of Saleem Ali who was assisting his brother throughout.

After hearing the entire story of how the girl was misled and hoodwinked by the Muslim men without knowledge of the poor mother, the police officials booked an FIR (number 484/2020) at the Kanth police station against Rashid Ali and Saleem Ali under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance Act, 2020. Section (3) and 5(1) were applicable to the accused. Both the sections are as follows-

• SECTION 3 : The decree states that no person shall convert or endeavour to convert any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of falsification, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage.

• SECTION 5 (1) : Any aggrieved person and the people related to the person in blood, marriage or adoption have the right to lodge an FIR against the said conversion.

According to Pinky’s mother Bala Devi, Rashid Ali lured her daughter and threatened her into calling on a Maulvi in order to convert to Islam. Rashid further convinced her to wear a Burqa.

She added that on December 1 during the morning hours, she received a call from a Bajrang Dal activist. The activist, a resident of Kanth, informed her that he had found her daughter with a Muslim man named Rashid Ali s/o Raza Ali at a local court and the two were in the process of getting married by giving an affidavit in the court followed by eloping. Hearing all of this, Bala Devi was shocked out of her wits. With the assistance of the Bajrang Dal activist and after a lot of uphill struggle, she managed to track her daughter down on December 5. At the time of filing the FIR, her daughter was very scared as the 2 men had threatened her, she adds.

With a sigh of relief, Bala Devi expressed gratitude to the Bajrang Dal activist who was instrumental in locating Pinky and informing her. She further stated that-

“I will never willingly marry my daughter to a Muslim. There have been many untoward cases.”

The circle officer of Kanath, Shri Balram told Hindupost that-

“Bala Devi has alleged that Rashid Ali, a resident of Kanth which lies in Moradabad, has fraudulently lured her daughter Pinky into marrying him and fooled her into converting to Islam.”

Pinky’s mother informed the police that her daughter lived in Kanth with a very close family relative and was pursuing her graduation degree in Humanities at a nearby college. Her husband has been bed-ridden since the past four years as he suffers from paralysis. Two of her sons who are unmarried continue to work along with pursuing their studies. Two daughters other than Pinky are married. Bala Devi works as a house help to earn her bread and butter and support the family.

At the moment both Rashid Ali and his brother Saleem Ali are under 14 days judicial custody while Pinky has been sent to Nari Niketan. It has been informed to the Hindupost that Rashid Ali and Pinky used to work together in Haridwar and that is how they met.

When Hindupost questioned further, the officer stated that- “We are looking into the matter and will investigate as per law.”

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