A case of rape under the pretext of marriage has come to light in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. A 20-year-old Hindu girl has accused a man named Shahnawaz Khan of pressurising her to convert to Islam for marriage. She also charged him with forcing a physical relationship with her. The victim has undergone a medical examination and the police have registered a First Information Report. Now, further investigation is underway.
The love jihad episode started one and a half years ago when the pair came closer to each other and meetings between them increased. Both of them fell in love gradually and their bond grew deeper. She revealed that afterwards the perpetrator used to call her to hotel and had sexual relations with her.
Now, when the girl asked him to tie the knot with her, he told her that he would only do that if she embraced Islam. He then refused to marry her and even threatened to kill her, based on the allegations.
The girl informed her father about her ordeal after being tired of the harassment and intimidation. She went to the police station on 5th October along with her sister to lodge a complaint. She charged that the authorities didn’t pay heed to her and kept her sitting for seven hours while making different excuses.
She voiced that the culprit has an affluent background and the cops are trying to reach a compromise. She expressed that after spending a considerable amount of time waiting at the police station, the officers launched an FIR and a medical examination was performed on her.
According to Vijay Singh Rajput, the in-charge of the Kotwali police station, a case against the individual has been submitted under numerous sections, including sections 376 (rape), 376(2)(n) (repeated sexual assault on the same person), 366 (abduction of a woman), and 506 (criminal intimidation) as a result of the accusations. He proclaimed that it was vital to verify the complainant’s grave charges before proceeding forward which required some time. The accused is absconding but he assured that the cops would be able to apprehend him soon.