About 35 arrests, dozen FIRs as UP ‘love jihad’ legislation completes one month

About 35 arrests, dozen FIRs as UP ‘love jihad’ legislation completes one month By Abhinav Pandey

Lucknow: Going full steam, the Uttar Pradesh police have made a couple of arrest a day because the controversial anti-conversion ordinance got here into impact a month in the past, having apprehended about 35 folks up to now.

Almost a dozen FIRs have been lodged because the Prohibition of Illegal Conversion of Faith Ordinance, 2020, was notified on November 27.

Eight arrests had been made out of Etah, seven from Sitapur, 4 from Larger Noida, three every from Shahjahanpur and Azamgarh, two every from Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor and Kannauj and one every from Bareilly and Hardoi, officers stated right here.

The primary case was registered in Bareilly only a day after the laws got here into drive.

The police cracked the whip following a criticism of Tikaram Rathore, the daddy of a 20-year-girl and resident of Sharif Nagar village in Bareilly. He alleged that Uwaish Ahmad (22) had change into buddies together with his daughter and was attempting to “coax, coerce and lure” her to transform.

An FIR was lodged at Deorania police station in Bareilly district and the accused was arrested on December 3.

Appearing swiftly after being tipped off about interfaith marriages, the Lucknow Police stopped a ceremony within the state capital, asking the couple to fulfill the authorized necessities first.

In Muzaffarnagar district, one Nadeem and an confederate had been arrested on December 6 for allegedly attempting to drive a married Hindu lady to transform.

Nadeem, nevertheless, obtained reprieve when the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom directed the police to not take any coercive motion in opposition to him.

Likewise, in Moradabad, two brothers, arrested earlier this month beneath the anti-conversion legislation, had been launched on an order of a CJM court docket.

Rashid and Salim had been arrested on December 4 after they visited the registrar’s workplace in Moradabad to file Rashid’s marriage to a Hindu lady whose household had filed the criticism.

Shabab Khan aka Rahul (38), who’s married, was picked up in Mau district on December 3 and 13 of his accomplices booked for allegedly abducting a 27-year-old lady on the eve of her marriage ceremony on November 30 with an intent to alter her faith.

An FIR was lodged at Tambor police station in Sitapur district and 22-year-old Zubrail together with 5 of his members of the family and two locals was accused of kidnapping a 19-year-old lady and changing her. All, barring Zubrail, had been arrested on December 5.

In Bijnor, 22-year-old labourer Afzal was arrested on December 13 for allegedly kidnapping a lady from her dwelling.

A 19-year-old lady lodged an FIR with Shahabad police station in Hardoi district on December 11 alleging that she was raped on the pretext of marriage and in addition pressured to transform by one Mohammed Azad. She additionally alleged that she was being bought by Azad in Delhi. 

Azad was booked for rape, for flouting UP Prohibition of Illegal Conversion of Faith Regulation, 2020 and for human trafficking. He was arrested on December 16.

Rashid Ali (22) and Saleem Ali (25) had been arrested beneath the brand new legislation in Moradabad district on related fees.

A person was despatched to jail in Bijnor on December 16 for ‘love jihad’, a time period coined by BJP leaders and right-wing activists to explain the crime in opposition to which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has additionally spoken out.

Addressing bypoll rallies in Jaunpur and Deoria, Adityanath had used the Hindu funeral chant of ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’ to threaten those that don’t respect daughters and sisters.

Amid a hue and cry over the legislation, social activist Shantanu Sharma stated, “We’ve got no issues with the brand new legislation however its enforcement shouldn’t trigger harassment to folks. It must be ensured that it’s not misused.”

“Making a brand new legislation does not imply that forcible conversions will probably be checked simply. In the end, will probably be the police which is able to implement it. It is too early to foretell whether or not it would reach its function or not, nevertheless it must be used rigorously,” he stated.

Former UP Director Basic of Police Yashpal Singh stated that when a lady flees, there may be stress for her restoration. “It (legislation) is sweet as per the social construction and with this there will probably be not exploitation. Nevertheless, as per fashionable social outlook, folks can really feel stripped off their freedom.”

Excessive court docket lawyer Sandeep Chowdhury stated, “The legislation impinges upon the elemental proper to alternative and the suitable to alter of religion. It militates in opposition to the elemental rights to particular person autonomy, privateness, human dignity and private liberty assured beneath Article 21 (proper to life and private liberty) of the Structure.”

He identified {that a} PIL has already been filed within the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom difficult the legislation and now it’s for the court docket to resolve.

The excessive court docket has requested the state authorities to answer a petition which contended that the brand new legislation impinges upon the elemental proper to alternative and the suitable to alter of religion.

Through the listening to, the excessive court docket refused to grant any interim reduction and directed the state authorities to file a counter affidavit by January 4.

The ordinance aimed toward curbing forcible or fraudulent non secular conversions, together with these for the sake of marriage, obtained the assent of UP Governor Anandiben Patel simply inside days of the state cupboard approving its draft. 

The legislation gives for a jail time period of as much as 10 years for any violations. Below the legislation, which offers with completely different classes of offences, a wedding will probably be declared “null and void” if the conversion of a lady is solely for that function.

The onus to show that the conversion has not been accomplished forcibly will lie on the accused and the convert.

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