New Delhi: An interfaith couple who visited a court in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal to register their marriage were assaulted by members of right-wing outfits, who accused the man of “love jihad” and beat him up. Subsequently, the man was arrested on charges of “forcing” the woman to change her religion.
No FIR was registered against the attackers.
A resident of Narsinghpur, the youth had travelled to Bhopal with the woman to get married under the Special Marriage Act but could not complete the court formalities, according to police officers.
The attack happened in a busy courtroom and the incident was captured on camera. A video of the attack has since been circulating online.
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Police said the right-wing outfits were tipped off by “sources”.
Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, president of the Sanskriti Bachao Manch, one of the groups whose members attacked the Muslim youth, was quoted by The Indian Express as alleging that the man had “multiple photographs and contact numbers of Hindu women on his phone” and that he had “coerced his partner into marriage”.
Speaking to media, Bhopal ACP Akshay Chaudhary said, “Advocates in court informed us that some individuals were present with the intention of discussing or conducting a love jihad-related marriage. Mahila Police summoned the women, and we are recording statements from the sub-inspector. We are also taking a statement from the youth.”
“The woman told us that she was being forced to marry him and change her religion,” he said.
Further action will be taken based on the findings, he added.
