‘Love Jihad’ row takes new turn, girl retracts statement denies rape, abduction

Lucknow: The young woman from Kharkhauda in Meerut, who had put entire Uttar Pradesh on the boil after she claimed two months ago that she had been abducted, gangraped and forcibly converted to Islam, took a dramatic U-turn on Monday when she reached the police station and confessed that she had eloped with the accused of her own will.

The BJP had claimed it to be a case of love jihad and the police had arrested seven people, including a maulvi from a madrassa, following her complaint. On Monday, she reached the police station and informed the cops that she now faced a death threat from her own parents and did not wish to live in her house.

The woman reached the station and informed the cops that she now faced a death threat from her own parents and did not wish to live in her house. She said that she had eloped with a Muslim man on July 23 and later came up with the story of ‘abduction, gang rape and forced conversion’ due to ‘certain pressures. The woman, 22, has now been kept in the Meerut Nari Niketan.

IG (law and order) Satish Ganesh said that he did not have the details of the case but the alleged victim had denied all charges that she had leveled earlier. It may be recalled that seven persons, including a maulvi from a madarasa, had been arrested on the woman’s complaint and the BJP claimed it to be case of love jihad. The ‘nikahnama’, the police alleged, was found to be forged and the medical reports did not confirm rape.