Every different day, platforms like Organiser and related retailers spotlight instances of “love jihad,” a time period denoting a sample of felony exercise involving interfaith relationships facilitated by false identities. This time period gained prominence in 2014, following the Tara Shahdeo case in Jharkhand. Recently, a particular CBI bench handed down a life sentence to the perpetrator on this case. Despite such frequent occurrences, Hindu women and girls typically prioritize their lovers over their spiritual id. In a latest case from Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit woman, victimised by spiritual extremism, said, “I have embraced secularism all my life, but I will suggest others to look for their partner’s religion first.” Shedding gentle on the hardships she endured, she added, “If he were a Hindu, he would never have treated me like this.”
As per the First Information Report (quantity–884/2023) registered on the Damoh Kotwali of the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh on October 6, the accused individual has been named as Shahbaz Khan. The sufferer in addition to the accused dwell in Damoh, and following this grievance, the accused was arrested by the police.
Met Shabaz by a typical buddy
As per the FIR, the sufferer, a 20-year-old Dalit woman, is at the moment pursuing her bachelor’s diploma in commerce from Damoh. Through a typical buddy, she got here into contact with Shahabaz and it grew to become a trio. They began assembly often, typically even with out their frequent buddy.
They used to meet at Anand Restaurant commonly. Almost one and a half years in the past, Shahbaz took the woman to Townverry Hotel, the place, in a cabin, he proposed to her and stated he would marry her. On the pretext of marriage, he made a bodily relationship. After this, this grew to become a continuing place pf conferences, and each time he used to have a bodily relationship with her.
One day, he informed her that to marry him, she would have to convert to Islam and the wedding can be solemnized as per Islamic rituals. This triggered her and she referred to as off her ties with him. Since then, the accused man has been threatening her with dire penalties; he’s following her, abusing her, and even reached her home to threaten her. Fed up with this, the woman lodged a grievance in opposition to him. She concluded her report by stating that the most recent he made a bodily relationship with her 20 days earlier than Raksha Bandhan.
Booked below Anti Conversion Law
Based on her grievance, the accused has been booked below IPC sections 376 (rape), 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 366 (kidnapping), and 506 (felony intimidation), with sections 3 / 5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act and sections 3(1)(w)(ii) and three(2)(v) of the Prevention of Atrocities Act, additionally referred to as the SC-ST Act. The accused was arrested on October 7 and the identical day the sufferer underwent a media take a look at.
She recorded her assertion in entrance of the Justice of the Peace on October 7, below Section 164 of the CrPC.
“Hindu hota to esa nahi karta…” sufferer informed Organiser
This correspondent referred to as the sufferer woman on October 7, after she returned from court docket. Below are the excerpts from this dialog:
“I am a B.com. student and work as a data entry operator at a private firm. My father is a farmer and I am the eldest of all my siblings. I have been telling this story to many media people, maybe around 10 people before you. It is emotionally draining. Can we talk about the police action?” stated the sufferer.
She comes from the gond jati which falls within the scheduled tribe class.
This correspondent requested: A video of yours is in circulation the place you’re telling how the police took too lengthy to act on this case. What occurred now?
“I had to wait that day a lot; this is true; the accused walk freely while the victims face the police, make rounds of offices and what not. Soon after taking the FIR, police arrested the man. I am satisfied with their action,” she added.
The FIR says you’ve got been in a relationship with Shahbaz; why a grievance after 1.5 years?
“I have been secular all my life. I am a Shiv Bhakt; my family is a staunch Hindu believer. They and I myself have been associated with Hindu social groups, but still, I always believed that there is nothing like religion when it comes to people. So, when I met Shahbaz, I had nothing like this in mind, he was my friend and so was I. We fell in love; he surely wasn’t but it was never about religion between us until I said yes. His behaviour changed since then,” she added.
What was it like with him? Did he ever pressure any observe that’s prevalent in Islam on you?
“Passively, yes. I never thought about them before he asked me to convert but he used to ask me to follow some things common in Islam. Like, learning how to offer Namaz, I thought he was saying this, as I took him to temples. He used to ask me to cover my head. Every time, I ate before him, he used to say, ‘Bismillah karo… har kaam se pehle bismillah kiya karo..’,” she stated.
She added, “He used to say that Burqa is the safest place for a woman, event woman should wear it. Those wearing Burqa never get raped or abused”
You name your self secular; why did you not convert to Islam?
“I was secular but this does not mean that I am against Hindu Dharma. I am a Shiv Bhakt, I cannot live my life without worshipping him. I can never be a Muslim, that is why I left him,” She added.
What was your loved ones’s response once they realized about this?
“Mam, he used to follow me on a daily basis, he even came my home threatening me, my brothers and other family members. We were frightened, even now, when I see him, I start shivering. He has said, bizarre things to me, I cannot tell you what I have been through in the past few months. I thought I would die,” she stated.
“Had he been a Hindu, he would have never done this to me. Such cruel men can be Muslims only,” she stated.
“I will now meet other Hindu girls and tell them to stay cautious” informed sufferer
“My family has been my biggest support, from handling him, to talking to his parents and making me not lose hope, they have done it all. I live in a joint family and we are social people. I myself have been a people’s person, going into meetings, arranging them, attending them, I have done it all. When all of this happened and the neighbours and the family members get to know about this, I was terrified. It’s a tough feeling to lose that image you have in society. I locked myself in a room but my parents stood by me, and they are the reason I am here. They say, this is a war and we cannot turn back, we will fight this through, he will suffer,” she added.
Did you ever hear the time period ‘love jihad’?
Yes, this implies a Muslim man trapping a Hindu woman for conversion. Their finish objective is conversion and “Apni kaum me jodna…” she stated.
Have you watched the movie, ‘The Kerala Story’?
“Yes, I did”, she stated.
Now, are you able to relate to the tales proven within the movie?
“Back then, I thought this is all fictional; it may be happening somewhere but not around me. Now, I believe in every story and angle shown in the film. These Muslims can go to any extent, in order to lure a person to their religion. The film is not false, I am a victim myself, I misunderstood them,” she added.
What would you like to say to different Hindu ladies on the market?
“I would like to tell them to, always check the religion of the person they are roaming around with. Even before getting into relationships, check thoroughly. I would suggest, that girls not fall for relationships on social media or any medium. Only your family can find a better person for you,” she added.
Are you prepared to relocate after this?
“No, not at all. He is the one who cheated me, abused me and threatened me, why would I leave my town? It is difficult to face people but I will. I will go back to my social organisation, work there, will meet people and now will awake other Hindu girls to save them from this menace. I will not leave my town, nor will I turn back. This is just the beginning, he will pay for this,” She added.
