SIT Constituted To Probe ‘Love Jihad’ Cases In Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh police on Monday constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the cases of alleged forceful religious conversion of Hindu girls and women after they are lured into marriages to youths of a particular minority community through deceitful means, termed by BJP as ‘love jihad’.

A notice issued by the police headquarters said the move was initiated following an intelligence tip off that ‘socially vulnerable and weaker sections of girls / women are falling victims of romantic entrapment, deception, intimidation and other inducements leading to their mental, physical and social exploitation’.

“In these incidents, the victims have allegedly been forced to convert their religion through various types of intimidation. Such cases are not only criminal in nature, but also pose a serious challenge to dignity, freedom and social acceptance of the victims”, the notice said.

The five-member committee is headed by Bhopal (rural) inspector general of police Abhay Singh.

The committee will be expanded, if needed.

The mandates of the committee include identification of such victims of forced religious conversion through deceitful marriage and track down the individuals, organizations or gangs involved in it.

The committee has also been directed to find out if there are any forces, interstate or international, which are behind these incidents.

It has also been asked to recommend measures to prevent such incidents.

Sources said there are around three dozen such cases pending at different police stations across the state.

In the latest incident, six youths belonging to the minority community allegedly outraged the modesty of at least five Hindu girls, students of a private college here, after developing acquaintance with them by concealing their religious identity.

Five of the six accused have so far been arrested.

One of the accused was shot in the leg when he tried to escape the police custody.

He was being treated in a government hospital here.

Madhya Pradesh cooperation minister Visvas Sarang has remarked that he should have been shot in his chest, instead of leg.

“Such people are a burden for the society”, he has said.