UP Grooming Jihad: Shafiq & family with a cleric booked for trapping a minor Hindu girl for conversion-nikah in Aligarh
Police rescue 17-year-old Hindu girl brought from Delhi for religious conversion and marriage in Aligarh; fake Aadhaar card recovered as investigators probe possible interstate network
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The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested five people, including a cleric, in connection with forced religious conversion and attempted marriage of a 17-year-old Hindu girl in Aligarh. The accused have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, alongwith provisions relating to religious conversion and other relevant sections of law. The five arrested accused have been identified as Shafiq, his mother Aamna, his father Kotwal, Bano, and mosque cleric Mohammad Tayyaf.
Police said the investigation is continuing, including a probe into a suspected interstate network.
According to Circle Officer (Iglas) Kamlesh Kumar, police received information that a minor girl was being converted and undergoing nikah at a rented house in Sathini village under the Gorai police station area. A police team immediately reached the spot and safely rescued the girl before the nikah could take place.
During the investigation, police contacted the girl's family, who informed authorities that they are originally from Tamil Nadu and currently reside in the Sarai Kale Khan area of Delhi. Based on a complaint filed by the family, the accused have been booked under provisions of the POCSO Act, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, and other applicable sections.
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All accused were produced before a local court and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
According to the complaint, the girl's brother told that Shafiq, who lived in the same rented accommodation in Delhi, had kept the minor under his influence for several years and sexually exploited her before bringing her to Aligarh. He claimed preparations were underway to convert her religion and solemnise the nikah when police intervened.
Police also recovered an Aadhaar card belonging to the victim. Officials said the authenticity of the document is being verified and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings.
The police have further stated that allegations regarding a possible interstate network, an organised conversion racket, and a suspected Bangladesh link are also being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
However, officials have not confirmed these allegations, stating that they remain under verification.
CO Kamlesh Kumar said all legal procedures are being followed and the investigation is progressing.
The case is yet another example of rising grooming jihad activities in Bharat. Be it using mobile phones, social media platforms or other grooming schemes, the end motto of such people remains the same, to convert a Hindu and get them to Islam.