‘Love Jihad’ victim retracts statement of rape and forced conversion

Meerut: A 22-year-old woman, who earlier alleged gang rape and forced conversion raising tensions in western Uttar Pradesh in August, did a U-turn saying she went with the accused in the case out of her own free will.

The victim's father had filed a missing complaint on Sunday.

As search for her was underway, the girl approached a female cop and claimed that there is a ‘threat to her life from her parents', said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Captain M S Begh.

Later, when she was produced before the City Magistrate Satya Prakash Rai's court, she retracted her statement saying that she was not abducted but went with the accused out of her own wish, he said.

The victim refused to go back home saying her family is upset with her and hence there is a threat to her life from them.

After the statement was recorded, she was sent to a nari niketan here, added Begh.

Meanwhile, the victim's father said that she has given such statement in pressure from the accused.

Read: Meerut gangrape: Police probe contradicts victim's claims

On August 3, the woman's father had lodged a complaint in Kharkhauda police station against Village Pradhan Nawab Khan, cleric Sallaullah, his wife and daughter Nishant for abduction and rape.

The complainant had alleged that Nawab along with five others abducted his daughter on July 23 and took her to a Madrassa where they raped and illegally confined her. They also forcefully made her sign some papers related to religious conversion.

While a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the case, tension gripped the Kharkhauda and Atrada areas as irate members of a particular community attacked and pelted stone at the houses of members of another community.

Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel were also deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

As the incident sparked an outrage, the Centre sought a detailed report from Uttar Pradesh government at the earliest while her family demanded a CBI probe.

Ten persons were arrested in the case and further investigations were on when the victim retracted from the statement, Begh said.

A brief history

The matter of alleged gangrape and conversion in August was latched up by the BJP whose leaders including Yogi Adityanath, state in charge of bypolls, exploiting the issue, especially in western parts of the state.

The alleged perpetrator Kaleem and eight others were arrested after the girl had alleged on August 3 that she had been abducted, gang-raped and forcibly converted to Islam.

Now the BJP has accused the Samajwadi Party government in the state of "directing" the police to protect the criminals and demanded a CBI probe.

"It is now exposed that Meerut police on the directions of the UP government has come out in protecting criminals," Laxmikant Bajpaye, state BJP president said.

"BJP has not made any textbook case. It is now exposed that Meerut police under the direction of UP government has come out in protecting criminals,"

He said that the lady has given a statement of section 164 in which she has said that she is giving the statement without being under any pressure.

"And retracting from the statement given before the magistrate, for that whatever crime or offence it comes under, action should be taken according to that. This case has been spoiled by the police on the orders of UP government. The case should be investigated by CBI or some outside agency," he said.