Ranchi: Another case of alleged love jihad was reported from Chatra district where police on Wednesday jailed a Muslim boy for deceiving a Hindu girl by faking his identity.
Last week, the boy had eloped with the girl, who is now eight months’ pregnant, forcing her father to lodge an FIR with Pratapur police station.
On Thursday, BJP workers and activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said it was another case of love jihad and called a daylong bandh in Chatra demanding justice for the girl.
Chatra SP Prashant Kumar Karn said: “The father of the girl had lodged a case of kidnapping against the boy following which he was arrested and sent to jail.” He clarified that no case of forceful conversion to Islam was lodged against him.
He, however, said: “It is true that the accused is Muslim and the victim is a Hindu.”
VHP in charge of Chatra unit, Vijay Pandey, claimed that the girl had confided in him that she was unaware about the boy’s faith. “He introduced himself as Sonu Kumar and also had tilak on his forehead. He worked as a conductor in a private bus which the girl used to take regularly to go to her college,” Pandey quoted the girl.
The two have been together for the last three years, he said. VHP state general secretary Ganga Yadav said the issue is a very sensitive one as it comes just after the Tara Shahdeo case.
“We have demanded a police inquiry into the whole incident,” said Yadav.