From January 2022 to July 10, there have been 46 reported cases of Grooming Jihad in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. It is evident that there is a well-planned conspiracy behind the cases. According to a report in Jagran, the Police have registered many of the cases as extortion, however, the statements given by the victims tell a different story.
The Bal Kalyan Samiti has recorded the statements of the victims of Grooming Jihad. As per the Committee’s officials, most of the girls said in their statements that they were kept in the dark and later forced to convert to Islam.
As per the official records, there were 250 cases where minors were the victims. Out of these cases, 46 were of girls who were lured by men of other religions and forced to convert. On average, at least seven girls in Bareilly were subjected to Grooming Jihad every month. In the majority of the cases, the girls converted to Islam.
The Committee said that at least eight girls have said on record that Muslim boys posed as Hindus and lured them into a relationship. They came to know about their actual religion only after leaving home. Five of the girls were instigated to commit theft at their homes. They were asked to steal cash and jewellery from the house before leaving. Reportedly, one of the victims is the daughter of a local leader.
A Muslim boy had come to her house to install CCTV cameras and got into a relationship with a teenager. On June 26, the teenager left the house with cash and jewellery at night. The accused, who was identified as Dawood, kept her at his house. On June 28, Police tracked her and arrested Dawood. In her statement, the teenager alleged that her family members of Dawood were involved in the matter. The Police booked Dawood in POCSO Act and sent them to jail.
Hindu girl lured and taken away to Punjab for Nikah
In another case, a Muslim boy named Amir posed as a Hindu and lured a 15-year-old Hindu girl. Both of them lived in the same Police Station area. As per reports, Amir tried to talk to her on several occasions. He would circle the locality and even gave her a mobile phone as a gift. Soon, they started talking, and eventually, he brainwashed her completely. He told her they would travel the world, and he would treat her like a queen.
One night he took the teenager with him and went to Punjab. He asked her to do Nikah with him. The girl questioned her as he presented himself as Hindu, but Amir persuaded her to do Nikah. Later she also got pregnant. He made the teenager stop talking to her family. She somehow managed to talk to her parents and inform them what had happened. Her parents filed a complaint against Amir and brought her back from Punjab. At the moment, she is five months pregnant.
Teenagers lured to commit theft at home
A Muslim boy named Barish wanted to target a Hindu girl. He got in touch with the boyfriend of her best friend and befriended him. Slowly, Barish used the person to get in touch with the Hindu girl. The whole time he posed as a Hindu boy. He finally befriended the Hindu teenager girl and started talking to her regularly. During that period, he brainwashed her and convinced her to move in with him. He also convinced her to steal valuables from her house. One night, the girl left home with a lot of cash and jewellery. The family members of the girl filed a complaint on the basis of suspicion, and the girl was brought back by the Police. Barish was booked under POCSO Act and sent to jail.
Bal Kalyan Samiti’s Dr Rakhi Chauhan told Jagran that both the girls had recorded their statements with the Committee. At present, they are living with their parents and visit the Committee every month. Dinesh Chandra, president of Bal Kalyan Samiti, said in a statement that such cases have increased in the current year compared to the previous year. Around six to seven such cases come to light every month. Depending on the circumstances, the girls are sent either with the parents or to the children’s home.