MP: How Media Trial of a Rape Case in Bhopal Fuelled Communal Hate
Bhopal: ‘Bhopal mein love jihad ka The Kerala Story pattern’ (The Kerala Story pattern of love jihad in Bhopal)
‘Love jihad par pehli baar ubla Bhopal…’ (Bhopal is boiling over love jihad for the first time…)
‘Muslim yuvakon ka doosra giroh bhi fansaata tha Hindu ladkiyon ko’ (Another gang of Muslim youth was also trapping Hindu girls)
‘Bhopal mein pehli baar: 25 jagahon se ek hi awaaz – love jihadiyon ko faansi do’ (For the first time, a united clamour came from 25 places in Bhopal – hang the love jihadis)
The above statements might sound like lines from a hate-filled WhatsApp forward or a poorly written propaganda script. However, these are headlines and coverage by mainstream Hindi newspapers concerning a rape case from Bhopal in which the accused individuals allegedly recorded videos of the victims – female college students – and used them for blackmail. They allegedly also pressured the victims into religious conversion.
Speaking to The Wire, Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayan Chari Mishra said, “The police are taking action on complaints from five college girls who have accused seven individuals. Five of them have been arrested. We cannot comment on media reports. One accused is named in four to five cases filed by individual girls. We have found objectionable videos, and action has been taken under POCSO, rape charges, and the MP Freedom of Religion Act (MPFRA) in matters where there were complaints of religious conversion.”
He added, “We do not have exact numbers (of cases registered under MPFRA) at present; these can be obtained from different branches.”
The Madhya Pradesh Police set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) specifically to investigate allegations of forced religious conversion. A three-member NCW (National Commission for Women) is also investigating the matter.
Spreading hate
Copy of complaint filed against a prominent media organisation in Bhopal.
An individual from Bhopal has submitted a written complaint against Hindi dailies Dainik Bhaskar and Nav Duniya for the headlines that allegedly targeted Muslim community. The complaint was formally submitted to the Aishbagh police station in Bhopal and sent to key authorities, including the Press Council of India and the National Commission for Minorities.
The subject of the complaint mentions, “Complaint regarding the criminal conspiracy by editors and reporters of Dainik Bhaskar and Nav Duniya published from Bhopal for spreading misleading and inflammatory news against the Muslim community, thereby endangering the unity of the country.”
The complaint states that a sensitive criminal case is being viewed through a religious lens, with attempts being made to portray an entire community as guilty. The newspapers have repeatedly used terms like “love jihad” and “jihadi jaal” – phrases that have no legal standing and have not been recognised as offences by any official agency. The complaint also highlights that the use of such terms distorts the meaning of concepts mentioned in the Quran, posing a risk of inciting hatred between communities. Journalism is meant to inform the public with truth and social sensitivity, not to amplify religious tensions without proper investigation.
When this reporter contacted Nav Duniya’s regional editor, Sanjay Mishra, over a phone call, he refused to speak, saying he was in a "video conference" and that he has "nothing to say". “Whatever is published in the newspaper follows the law and reflects police proceedings. Why would we go against any community? That is not our objective. Please disconnect the call – I’m in a meeting,” he said.
This reporter also attempted to contact Dainik Bhaskar’s state editor (Madhya Pradesh), Satish Singh, but the number dialed was switched off or unanswered. We have sent an email to the organisation with our queries. This copy will be updated once the organisation responds.
The complaint cited two media outlets and their headlines allegedly targeting Muslims. It also counters the love jihad conspiracy theory.
At a press conference in Bhopal, members of the Muslim community stated that they do not stand with rapists, adding that it is the strength of Islam that the community has never supported those who commit such crimes.
Senior journalist Ajith Singh criticised such reporting, commenting that the media has drastically changed and expecting integrity now feels dishonest. “Ethics are gone, with discretion missing. A major Hindi newspaper ran a sensational headline – “Bhopal Ubla” (Bhopal boiling) – when a group of lawyers attacked a rape accused in court. How can the entire city be counted for hooliganism? Mainstream media has lost its mind for the past 10 days. What’s happening is unacceptable,” he said.
Stating that ‘love jihad’ is a term "coined by the Sangh" and has no legal or constitutional standing, he added, “When a few people commit violence and the media frames it as ‘Bhopal boiling’, it isn’t just reporting – it’s promotion. Journalism should challenge narratives, not amplify them.”
“Today’s journalists lack the power to push back because the mainstream media no longer wants to verify anything beyond the official briefing. They’ve become stenographers. PR agents. Many of them don’t even care about the danger this poses to society,” Singh said.
The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, came into effect on January 7 and was passed in the assembly on March 8 amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram”. It replaced the 1968 law introducing stricter penalties up to 10 years in jail and a Rs 1 lakh fine for religious conversions through fraud, allurement, or coercion. Although some politicians, sections of media and right-wing groups have promoted the love jihad conspiracy theory, the Modi government has repeatedly stated, both in Parliament and in official communications since 2014, that it has no data or legal definition for love jihad.
Ministry of Home Affairs' reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Media trial, incitement and missing data
Advocate Amol Srivastava, speaking to The Wire, says that there is a fine line between media reporting and media trial. Headlines must avoid sensationalism or implying guilt or innocence before a court verdict, he said.
“What exactly is ‘love jihad’? If an FIR mentions it, only then can it be reported as such. If not, its use is unjustified. Police cannot parade the accused. The principle of 'innocent until proven guilty' must be upheld. The Press Council Act lays down ethical guidelines for reporting, especially for cases pending in court, and in sensitive matters like sexual violence and suicides. Complaints can be filed if they are violated. If a case is sub judice and media coverage disrupts the process of justice, it may amount to contempt of court. For example, if facts are X, Y, Z, but the media introduces unrelated angles or character assassinations, it directly prejudices the court’s mind,” Srivastava explains.
Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, defines what amounts to “criminal contempt.” According to this section, any publication – spoken, written, visual, or otherwise – that scandalises the court, prejudices an ongoing judicial proceeding, or interferes with the administration of justice can be treated as criminal contempt.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh minister and Lok Sabha MP Alok Sharma made a controversial statement while reacting to the police encounter of an accused in the case. He said, “Why did they shoot him in the leg? They should have shot him in the chest. People who commit crimes like love jihad and the rape of minor girls have no right to live in this country or this state. They are a burden on this land,” adding, “Now, anyone involved in love jihad in Madhya Pradesh will not only be arrested but also undergo sterilisation.”
On February 11, 2021, just a month after the anti-conversion law came into effect, then home minister of Madhya Pradesh, Narottam Mishra, shared what he called “love jihad” data.
He claimed that 23 cases had been registered under the new Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020. Notably, this remains the only official instance when the state government released such data.
A March 2021 investigation by The Indian Express found that within three months of the law's enactment, the police had registered 21 cases involving 47 accused, with 25 arrests made. Their analysis of police records showed that in at least 11 of these cases, the complainants personally knew the accused – they were friends, in relationships, and in one case, married for over five years.
All 21 cases involved accused from minority communities: 15 Muslims and six Christians.
Paper clips of sensational reporting from Hindi dailies in Bhopal.
Media-fuelled hate diverts attention from women's safety issues
Expressing concern, women's rights activist Kumud Singh says that we are seeing a disturbing trend across the country where when a Muslim man is accused of a crime, he's publicly beaten. She says, “He must be punished by law if he committed rape but framing the crime as ‘a Muslim raping a Hindu woman’ shifts focus from justice to communal hatred. A criminal is a criminal, no matter the religion. If anger is genuine, it should remain the same, irrespective of the criminal’s identity.”
“What has the administration been doing, even if part of these claims are true? It means the failure of the system. Patriarchy fuels a culture that denies women education, dignity and freedom. While much is said about ‘love jihad’, NCRB data reveals that women are unsafe even in their own homes. The real issue is the everyday violence women face everywhere. Society still sees women as mere bodies and controls them, leading to women even following what is against them. The line between religion and politics has blurred but one thing remains clear – no religion justifies hate or rape,” she adds.
Hindu organisations on May 2 organised sit-ins at 25 locations across the state capital to protest alleged love jihad incidents in the city. Women also took part in the demonstration under the banner of the Sakal Hindu Samaj.
According to NCRB (National Crime Report Bearau) data, Madhya Pradesh recorded 3,046 cases of rape and gang rape, ranking third-highest across states. Rajasthan had the highest number with 5,408 cases in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3,692 cases. At least 22 women, including three minors, were victims of attempted rape in 2022 in Madhya Pradesh.
Advocate Deepak Bundele opines that newspapers have distorted the true meaning of jihad as described in the Quran. “In the Quran, jihad refers to justice, peace, and seeking Allah's approval. However, Dainik Nav Dunia and Dainik Bhaskar have misrepresented it as ‘love jihad’, a term that does not appear in the Quran or any Hadith. This misrepresentation spreads false information, fuels communal tension, and wrongly presents it as an established concept. This action misguides the public and undermines national unity. We intend to approach the high court regarding this issue,” he says.
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