UP Court Links ‘Love Jihad’ to Foreign Funding, Sentences Muslim Man to Life
A court in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, has linked “love jihad” to a method of changing India’s population and associated illegal conversions with foreign funding. This statement was made as the judge sentenced a Muslim man to life in prison for raping and threatening a woman.
Notably, “love jihad” is a term primarily used by some right-wing groups in India. It refers to an alleged conspiracy where Muslim men target women from other religions, particularly Hindus, to marry them and convert them to Islam.
During a hearing on Monday, Uttar Pradesh’s Additional District Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar claimed that some groups lure Hindu women into relationships to facilitate illegal religious conversions, which he said threaten India’s unity and security. Judge Diwakar emphasized that these illegal conversions occur under psychological pressure and promises of marriage, funded by foreign sources, requiring urgent intervention.
The court convicted 25-year-old Mohammad Alim to life imprisonment for raping a 20-year-old student. Alim had introduced himself as ‘Anand’ to the victim, establishing a relationship that eventually led to forced abortion and threats.
The court also sentenced Alim’s father, 65-year-old Sabir, to two years in prison for aiding his son’s crimes. The student alleged that Alim deceived her into believing he was Hindu. After establishing a relationship and holding a fake marriage ceremony, he pressured her to get an abortion. Fearing for her life, the woman ultimately filed a police complaint.
Senior police officer Manus Pareek stated that Alim was convicted under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
